All's Fair in Competition and Love
by four elements
Summary: Batman asks Robin for a big favor, to watch Batgirl! Everyone else seems to like her, but Robin can't decide if he hates her, or something more... M for smuttier later chaps
1. Chapter 1:Frustration

HI EVERYONE!!! This is my first Teen Titans fanfic and I really, really, really, hope you like it! This is going to be a bit of a long story, but I know that it will get some of you readers really into my writing! I am nuts about reviews, so PLEASE do so! READ AND ENJOY!!! Any Teen Titans characters, Justice League Characters, or Batman characters I happen to use do not belong to me, but I have purposefully changed a few of their personalities for my own (and YOUR) amusement! HAHA! And here is the very first chapter of my very first Teen Titans fanfic!

Late

Robin was sitting at the desk of his private filing room located near the evidence room of Titan's Tower. It was completely dark except for the one table lamp illuminating the files he was reading.

All of the other Titan members were in the commons room watching some movie, but Robin wasn't exactly feeling very social at that time. Slade had gotten away…again…and the others could all just go out and have a wonderful time while he sat alone in the dark trying to figure out Slade's next move. Even after the villain had "helped" them out when the whole incident with Raven's father had happened, but that was for purely selfish reasons. That bastard didn't care about the fate of the world one way or another, just so long as his own ass was safe.

Frustrated with the complex and thick stack of papers in front of him, Robin gave a growl and slammed his fist, hard, on the desktop. The action caused the lamp to shake and tip over and the 30watt bulb to shatter. "…Great…" Robin had _already_ not been in a good mood, but him being shoved into utter darkness was definitely not helping. He was about to curse, but instead he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he closed his eyes-not that that really did any good because there were no windows in the filing room. Robin sighed, getting angry wouldn't improve anything.

Instead, he walked over to the light switch near the door: expertly dodging all of the organized metal cabinets. He knew that room so well, it was like his second home, he spent so much time there-hell, he even tended to sleep there if a case was too consuming. What was sad was that was becoming a more and more common occurrence.

In seconds, the room was showered with fake, fluorescent white light. Robin blinked to adjust his eyes and re-crossed the room to drop back into the metal rolling chair at the desk. It slid slightly and he forcefully pulled himself back in alignment. His green-gloved hand searched through the stacks of paper to find nothing in particular, but it was something to busy his body while his mind shifted from incident to incident where Slade had slipped right through his fingers.

Once again he scoffed and looked up at the clock. It was late, too late and Robin knew he had to be rested just in case any criminal was stupid enough to rear his ugly head while he was so upset. Any minute, another member of the team would barge in on him all concerned for his welfare and scold him and shame him into going to sleep. Robin knew that his friends really cared about him, but it was hard not to take out his pent up aggression on someone.

Robin put his palms against the rounded edge of the desktop and pushed backwards harder than he had intended to. He rolled until his path was intercepted abruptly. He frowned, there shouldn't have been something behind him, not to mention there was not that usual _clang_ of metal on metal if he had, in fact, actually collided with a filing cabinet. Looking up, Robin saw a familiar, black-masked face looking back down at him. His eyes grew visibly wide, despite his mask, _Batman…_


	2. Chapter 2:Request

I hope that all of you can bear with me as I develop the mood and my characters, but I PROMISE that it will DEFINITELY get better! I am already having sooooo much fun with this fanfic and I hope that all of you readers are too! Without further procrastination, here is Chapter 2!!! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

Request

Completely caught off guard, Robin flung himself out of his chair, sending it skittering halfway across the room before actually making that resounding _clang_ing sound he had waited for only moments before. "Wh-what are you doing…how did you…I…thought we were on lockdown for the night…" he was unable to form any coherent thoughts and couldn't help but stutter. There, on a surprise visit, was his longtime mentor and (not that Robin would actually admit it aloud) the man he most looked up to in the world, even as a replacement "father figure".

He hadn't seen Bruce in such a long time-maybe somewhere around a year and a half, possibly even two-and there wasn't even any contact between the two of them, so it truly was good to see him: no matter the circumstances.

Batman simply cocked a masked eye, "You know better than to underestimate me, Robin." His deep monotone voice was enough to bring back a thousand memories of a simpler time when there had been no Slade and only Gotham City to worry about. Before there were any Titans and way before he had even been considered to have the privilege of running his own group of heroes. "Lockdowns don't keep me out," the hero gave a rare laugh. Robin knew exactly what he was talking about. He _had_ learned everything he knew from Batman, and yet he still found himself wondering how he had so skillfully infiltrated the Tower and entered the room without setting anything off. Even Robin didn't get snuck up upon very often, and when he did, it had to have been done by a true master of the art of stealth; and there he was, looking him in the eye.

Robin could see Batman's arms cross beneath his oversized black cape. He began to question why he had honored him with such a visit. He knew it was for more than just to catch up and exchange pleasantries-the many years of working together had taught him better. There was some ulterior motive there, but Robin didn't mind. Maybe it would help him take his mind off of the whole Slade ordeal…at least until the next time he showed up with a plot to destroy the city.

Soon, Robin too crossed his arms, mimicking Batman's posture and stance. He knew Bruce wasn't much of a talker, but neither was he…not lately at least. Even Batman, himself, couldn't handle too long of an awkward silence and no matter how eager Robin was to find out why he had so suddenly dropped by instead of hanging out with the other Justice League members (Robin had actually tried to become a member on many occasions, but his requests were always shot down by Batman. Needless to say, this pissed him off pretty badly, but there was no way around the airtight system Superman had designed…he had tried. They had replied with the statement that he was too young…tell that to Supergirl who was a full year or so-in Earth years-younger than he was…"Just a kid" his ass…). Robin had patience; he could wait just as long as Batman could for a conversation to be struck up. It was just another one of those skills the hero he was staring at had taught him.

Only several minutes had lapsed, but it felt like hours before, finally-as Robin knew he would-Batman spoke, "By the way, your 'team' is completely passed out in the living room."

Robin was expecting anything but a comment about his Titans and he couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed that he and his crew had been caught in such a vulnerable state by the man he most admired. _Some friends…_ he thought, but instantly regretted it. They were his _friends_ and it was his own fault they were all so wiped out. Robin admitted he had been working them to the bone lately. He didn't know what to say to the comment, so he simply kept quiet.

Even through the mask, he could see Batman's eyes narrow as they caught sight of something obviously interesting at the desk. He made a move and Robin turned to look at what had captured him. It was the stack of papers from Slade's extensive file.

Thinking fast, Robin sidestepped into his path, "Just a case I'm working on…a little research." He knew that it was something that he would respect; as many a night he would go down to the Cave and find Bruce sitting there at the giant computer, typing away well into the early morning hours. Still, Bruce raised an eyebrow, but Robin refused to give him any more information. He wanted just _one_ thing to himself-no matter how all consuming that thing may be. Besides, Robin wasn't even sure Batman knew who Slade was, but he wasn't going to allow his greatest enemy to be taken down by Batman, let alone if the Justice League got involved. He had decided that, no matter what, Slade was his…

Bruce gave the Batman equivalent of a shrug: though it was no more than a slight turn of his head and if Robin had blinked, he would have missed it. The motion was as if to say, "suit yourself". The action-if it could even be considered as such-itself was actually a bit of a surprise.

Before Robin had left to begin the Teen Titans, Batman would have pressed and pressured until he got an answer he liked. Robin sometimes wondered if he even knew he was doing it, though he suspected it was just a type of packaged deal that came with being a hero. Though, Robin dared to think how maybe, just maybe, Batman had decided to finally allow him to have some of the freedom he had dutifully earned and-literally-fought for.

Still, as an extra precaution, Robin reached around behind his own heavy cape and silently shifted the papers so that they were safely contained once again inside of their extra-large manila envelope and safe from prying eyes with perfect vision. Suddenly, he was feeling rather weary and all he wanted was some rest. Normally Robin was able to stay out all night and prowl the streets, but it was more so that his emotions were completely drained. "So…long time no see, Batman…" he tried his best to subtly lead Bruce into giving him an answer. It hardly ever worked in the past, but there was no harm in trying it at that point. "Yes, well-" Batman began. Robin hadn't expected the less than half-hearted attempt to work, so what he had to say must have been something very important, "the Justice League has been occupying my time as of late." "But what about Gotham?" Robin had to ask. It had been his home for so long and he cared for its well-being. Not to mention it was the place that he had gotten his start as a sidekick.

"It's in good hands. I go back every once in a while to make an appearance, both as Batman and my alter ego (that was code for Bruce Wayne: it was used between the two of them, even when they were in a positively secure place-Robin smiled). Nothing major has happened and all in all it's quite. Though-" there was always a "though", "the people are starting to question what happened to their 'Boy Wonder'." Batman actually let out a laugh. Robin allowed a full-fledge grin to happen, "Is that what you're here for? To try to get me to go back to Gotham now that there is nothing exciting going on? Look, I can't leave the Titans-"

"That's not what I'm here for," Batman cut him off. Robin grew even more confused, "Then what?" Batman gave a gruff noise from the back of his throat, causing Robin to grow uncomfortable enough to shift from foot to foot, "Gotham can take care of itself for a while and now that I can devote a lot of my time to the League, there is something that I need you to take care of for me. Call it tying up some loose ends, if you will."

Robin frowned, "But I don't understand." "You don't have to," Batman replied, "I will be back in a few days and you will know exactly what I am talking about." Robin sighed exasperatedly, "Why can't you just tell me what's going on? There shouldn't be any mystery between us." Batman's eyes narrowed, but the tone of his voice didn't change, "Trust me…" It was all he said before exiting through the hydraulically powered door and into the dark hallway.

For a second, Robin thought about going after him, but knowing Batman, he was already gone. He felt foolish for having thought that Bruce might have actually wanted to treat him as the adult that Robin felt he had already proven himself as, many times over. His fists clenched. He was not normally an angry person: everyone saw him as one of the more chipper and optimistic of the Titans members, though he had a very strong feeling that he would not be back to his normal mellow self for quite some time now that Batman was back with one of his mysterious requests.

Without another thought, Robin snatched up Slade's file and placed it in its respective place in a cabinet. He sighed and stormed out of the room, stopping only to turn around to lock the room with a keypad that corresponded with the exact measurement of his hand. A mechanical beep sounded and he felt slightly reassured that all of his endless hours of research were at least semi-safe.

Robin knew he had to bring up the fact that Cyborg's impenetrable lockdown system had just proven to be faulty. He really didn't want to, but if Batman could infiltrate the Tower, then who was to say that no one else could.

Come to think of it, the other Titans had never actually met his mentor. Of course they had asked, having had a natural curiosity of associating with such a close tie to someone as famous as Batman, but Robin hadn't really had more that three or four word answers for them. He wasn't feeling too much like giving away a ton of his past, even to his best friends.

With his thoughts occupied, it hadn't taken Robin long to reach his room. He had another hand-scan to go through before he was able to actually enter his bedroom. The sigh of the closing door seemed to mimic the sound of his breath.

The lights turned on dimly to welcome him back as he hit the door-lock button with his elbow. The pristinely clean and windowless space was not one he spent much time in, but it was still nice to have an escape to where he was pretty sure Batman couldn't even get to him.

Robin walked over to the double bed and unclipped his utility belt and carelessly dropped it on the mattress. Normally, he would have hung it up along with his cape in the closet that was solely filled with extra sets of uniforms and masks, but he was feeling too drained even to do that. Instead, he simply flopped down on his back beside his discarded belt with his legs hanging off the edge of the bed. Still with his gloves on, Robin reached up and pressed the base of his palms into his eyes. His head hurt and all he wanted at that point was sleep.

He mumbled "Lights," and the already dim overhead lamps turned off and enshrouded him in darkness. It was comforting in the soundproof room, yet unnerving because all of the soundproofing on the planet Earth could not keep out his own thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3:Morning

HI THERE, EVERYONE! Here's chapter three of _All's Fair in Competition and Love_. I really, really, really hope that all of you readers are enjoying this story as much as I love writing it. I love getting more and more feedback from all of you, both on and offline (you know who you are!) Anyway, I have a feeling that this chapter will really hit home with a lot of my readers-I am not sure why, but this type of a chapter gets a lot of reviews in my experience-you'll find out soon enough. HERE IT IS!!! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! I REALLY NEED THE FEEDBACK!

Morning

Robin woke with a start. He sat up in bed and glanced around the room. His legs were still hanging over the side of his bed, so he had slept in the same position he'd practically collapsed in the previous night. His eyes leapt to his bedside table where a digital clock's glowing red numbers sneered at him and seemed to be screaming, "You overslept". Robin had been too tired to remember to set his alarm, so instead of waking up at his usual time, it was already well past eleven.

He groaned: he knew that he would never hear the end of it from Beast Boy. Robin was usually the one to drag _him_ out of bed. Standing, he ran his fingers through his hair and snatched up his utility belt. Clicking it on, he decided to shower and walked over to his closet to take some clean clothes to the bathroom with him. Next, he went to a drawer and pulled out a clean towel. Robin had learned over time not to use the same towels as Beast Boy because he tended to find green fur all over the place. Shedding was sometimes as issue that came from living with a shape-changer.

Unlocking his door, Robin left and walked down the hallway-double-checking and making sure the door slid shut behind him. He trudged forward; hoping to dodge any chance encounters with any of the other Titans members. As he passed the giant living room, he wasn't having such luck. "Hey, Robin! Finally decide to get up?" came Beast Boy's chipper voice. He flinched a little as he probably could have made it there unscathed had the sliding doors not have been on the open setting, "Morning B.B…." He was trapped. _Just perfect,_ he thought. There was no avoiding him now.

Still carrying his clean clothes and towel, he walked into the room that played a part as their kitchen, living room, headquarters, and just the all-over hangout. Robin found Beast Boy looking over the edge of the large U-shaped couch with a great grin on his face. "Up late again?" Robin gave a gruff reply, "Good guess." Thinking twice he asked, "Where is everyone else?" It was oddly quiet and usually at least two of the team members were in the commons room at once.

"Well, I think Raven's in her room-as usual-and Cy is working on the T-car-again-, but I'm not quite sure where Star is," he said. Within a matter of seconds, the two boys saw a blur of red and purple flew outside of the two-story windows, "Guess that answers that last one," Robin gave a flitting smile. "Um…well," Best Boy began, "It's just that, everyone kinda wants a day off, ya know? They really seem to be enjoying themselves-" "Fine," Robin said curtly and walked off. He heard a resounding "yes!" from the living room and he knew that the team deserved a day or two off, but Robin wanted to do everything in his power to not be caught off guard the next time Batman showed up. He was determined…

When he finally got to the bathroom, Robin locked the door behind him and set his things on the white countertop where they wouldn't get wet. He stripped off his gloves and laid them out neatly. It was one thing he had always done; he was practically OCD when it came to keeping neat and organized.

Next came his mask, it was an odd thing to do. Robin mostly even slept in his mask, just in case there was an emergency. He peeled it off slowly and looked into the mirror. It was an odd thing for him to see-his actual eyes looking back at him. Robin's eyes were a bright green, but he thought they were so out of order in a place where he was used to seeing only a generic mask. Even his Titan friends hadn't seen him without his mask on, let alone know his secret identity. Robin actually felt oddly naked without his mask on. It was like a major part of him that helped conceal a section of his history that he was not always fond of.

He sighed as he pulled his shirt over his head and stripped off his boots as well as the rest of his clothing. Without having to look, he flipped on the shower and waited for the water to heat up. While he waited what was only a few minutes, but always felt like and hour, Robin repeatedly ran his fingers through his jet-black hair, tugging at the remaining gel from the day before.

He stepped into the shower soon enough and pulled the opaque curtain shut behind him. He flinched, however, as the steaming spray hit his skin. Robin turned the temperature down slightly before allowing the water to run its own course down his body.

He proceeded to wash his hair and watch as the suds swirled and created a whirlpool before disappearing down the drain.

Robin braced his palms flat against the white tiled wall and let his head hang. The pounding water felt like a massage on his weary muscles. Granted, the Titans hadn't actually gotten into any crime-fighting battles for several days, but Robin still got sore from time to time. Besides, his awkward sleeping position hadn't helped. He gave a curt laugh-at the age of seventeen he felt like someone more than twice his age.

Rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, Robin grabbed the bar of soap and lathered his arms and upper body. His fingers caught on every little scar on his shoulders from so many encounters with evil.

The water began to cool off, so he reached over and turned the heat back up. Robin sighed. He knew he had to cheer up and stop dwelling on the ordeal with Slade or he might just become as removed and bitter as Bruce. Sure, he looked up to him and admired him, but that didn't necessarily mean that he wanted to _be_ him. Robin knew he had to lighten up.

He turned to face the water and closed his eyes as the droplets pinpricked his eyelids and cheeks. Suddenly, Robin heard the jingle that signaled a call on his communicator. It wasn't often that he received a call and it wasn't some sort of an emergency.

Robin burst out of the shower, nearly tangled in the curtain. Without bothering to turn off the water, he grabbed his towel, wrapped it around his waist, unclipped his communicator, and; just as he was about to answer the ringing, he remembered his mask. Within a few seconds, he slapped it on his face and pressed the button, "Robin, here. Go." "Hey, Robin!" it was Cyborg, "Am I interrupting something?"

Robin rolled his eyes, though he quickly remembered the motion couldn't be seen with his mask on. "Let me guess…there's no emergency, is there?" It was a half-hearted question, but Robin already knew the answer. His adrenalin had stopped pumping and his muscles began to relax. Slightly exasperated, he let his hand, along with the communicator, drop to his waist-level so he had to look down to speak to his friend.

"Naw, man, no problem here. I just heard from B.B. that you were letting us have the day off." Robin sighed, "Yeah-" he was cut short by another ringing which signaled that a second call was joining the conversation. Pushing a button, Robin heard Starfire's chipper voice chime in with a, "Hello, Robin." The screen split in two so he could communicate with both of them at the same time.

"Hey, Star," Robin greeted her, but her face soon fell into a look of horror. "Robin! Why are you not wearing any clothing? Have you none of the modesty?" she exclaimed. He saw her hand go to her eyes, "Star, I-" she had already clicked off her end of the line.

Cyborg once again filled the screen. He was laughing at him. Robin could feel a blush creeping up the back of his neck, but it was not solely from embarrassment… "Cyborg…" Robin attempted, "…Cyborg…" his friend continued laughing, "Cyborg!" he said more forcefully as his fingers gripped the towel at his waist. "Yeah, man?" Robin sighed and felt slightly drained, "How about we all just go out for pizza…my treat?" "Sounds good to me, but you might want to put some clothes on first!" He heard Cyborg give one last laugh before clicking the off button.

Robin dropped the communicator back on the countertop and leaned back into the shower to turn the water off. He ran his fingers through his soaked hair, slicking it back. He strode back over to the sink and mirror. The glass was completely fogged up. Leaning forward, he brushed the condensation away with his palm. Robin stared back at the slightly distorted reflection of his naked waist-up.

He looked ridiculous…his mask was completely askew and only barely covered his eyes. Readjusting his mask and drying himself off, he found himself glad that at least his friends were happy. While he dressed, he resolved to try his best not to allow his obsession interfere with his team any more than it already had. Robin grabbed his damp towel and mussed his hair before leaving the bathroom. Through his resolution, however, he couldn't help but wonder when Batman would return with the "something" he needed him to look after and just how important that thing would be if he were letting a "kid" do so. Robin couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed, and that brought on a feeling of anger, but in the end, he gave up and gave in and just let the very notion of cheesy, greasy pizza take over.

HAHA, do you get it now? For some odd reason, SHOWER chapters/fanfics get a really good response. I don't know…but I hope you all liked it! Until Next time…


	4. Chapter 4:Surprise

Hello there, everybody! Finally, here is chapter 4 of my Teen Titans fanfic. I finally reveal more in this chapter and bring in the whole reason for this story being written. Also, a little bit more is explained for those of you who are having a hard time getting over the whole StarfireXRobin pairing and, hopefully, it makes some sense. Well, here is the next chapter and I am REALLY, SERIOUSLY lacking in the reviewing department and am growing desperate. Please, take the time to at least write, like, three words or "This story sucks" or "I LOVE your fanfic" or something like that. I can't improve without help and I AM only human, so I need some kind or creative criticism or encouragement! Thanks a bunch!

Surprise

Robin was splayed out on the giant couch in the living room of Titans Tower. With his legs hanging over the side, he flipped through the channels-much to the protest of the others around him. "This is good-hey! I like that show!" whined Beast Boy.

"C'mon, man!" came Cyborg's voice, "Pick something, already!" Robin gave in and finally stopped on the TV Guide channel because there didn't seem to be anything that they all could agree on.

It was just the boys as Raven was meditating in her room and Starfire was on patrol duty for a few hours. The city had been oddly calm in the almost-week since Batman's previous appearance. Robin had let up on his friends, but only for the reason that he didn't want them to completely hate him.

He shifted onto his elbow and gave a grunt as he thought about how long it could possibly take to "tie up a few loose ends". Robin hadn't stopped thinking about what Bruce had said and wondering exactly what it was he had wanted him to look after.

"What's wrong with you?" Cyborg asked. Without giving Robin a chance to reply with a "nothing", Beast boy gave a chuckle. Not even removing his eyes from the roulette of channels on the giant screen, he said, "Not much, he just needs to get laid!" Only a second after the words left his lips, there was an overstuffed pillow hurtling at Beast Boy's head. "Hey!" the boy exclaimed.

Robin sat up and, after having sent the projectile in his friend's direction, he tossed the remote control at Cyborg. "I'm going to work out," he gave a gruff reply, the anger his voice exhibited only half-true.

Beast Boy didn't seem to know when to stop-he never did, "Yeah, that _sexual_ frustration," he gave another of his laughs. Robin flinched slightly and paused mid-step before deciding it wasn't worth it and just allowed it to slide. He made a quick detour to the refrigerator to grab bottled water. He snatched it up even before the chilled air could reach his skin. Righting himself, Robin turned to look back at the large TV screen. Beside it, a giant window was open it let in both the balmy harbor breeze and Starfire when she returned from her patrol.

He twisted the cap off and put the cool plastic to his lips. As he drank, Robin thought about what Beast Boy had said. Sure, he was a hero-a teen one, but a hero none the less-and, just like every Justice League member, could probably have any girl that he wanted. Hell, he'd gotten enough offers, but none enticed him as much as they did the other two male members of the Teen Titans. Everyone in the tower knew he and Starfire had had a sort of "thing", but it had never really amounted to much. It was true that he had wanted it to, being a teenage boy and all, but he had hit a sort of proverbial brick wall when he had wanted to approach her about said actions. The fact of the matter was that she was not of the Earth and Robin felt too awkward to ask her about…certain things before they got too involved. Though, just because he didn't plan on taking everything to the next level didn't mean he couldn't at least be physically attracted to Star. Hell, more than half of the city's male population was-with good reason, of course.

He set down his empty bottle next to its cap on the counter and walked in the direction of the exit. As he approached the doorway, Robin glanced up at the clock on the wall. He unclipped his communicator and signaled Starfire and Raven to meet in the living room so there could be a shift change. He knew that Raven usually preferred to work at night, but at that point, Robin felt like putting whomever he wanted on watch, whether they liked it or not.

They both answered promptly and he was greeted by Starfire's cheerful voice and Raven's sullen one. He asked for an update on the city and Star replied with "everything was as it should be". After double-checking, Robin made sure that they would be there any minute so they could converse before Raven headed out. Just because he wasn't training the team past the point of exhaustion everyday didn't mean he couldn't run a tight ship.

Robin knew he didn't have to be there for that meeting because they weren't children and were very well capable of talking to each other, so he once again headed towards the door. Not to mention he wasn't too keen on seeing Star so soon after his whole thought process that had stemmed from one of Beast Boy's cracks. He clicked off his communicator as the hydraulic doors ahead of him let out a great _whoosh_ to reveal none other than Batman, himself.

Nearly dropping his communicator, Robin spoke, "Batman-good to see you finally decided to come back." He was a little pissed that Bruce had, once again, gotten through all of the first-warning detectors. _Chalk up another one to the expert and add yet another point to the "Robin's just a kid" tally…_ he thought to himself resentfully.

From the direction of the TV, Robin heard some shuffling sounds right before Cyborg and Beast Boy cried out in unison, "Batman?" Walking into the commons room, the hero was soon surrounded by Robin's friends. Bruce's face remained unchanging, but Robin couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed as Cyborg and Beast Boy gushed over his mentor. "We've heard so much about you, sir!" "It's so _cool_ to finally meet you!"

Robin continued to stand in the doorway as Starfire glided in through the window to be there for the briefing. She caught sight of Batman and quickly joined the swarm. Mentally, Robin counted to five and, sure enough, a shadow liquidated in the center of the carpet and soon after came Raven. Robin watched her as she crossed her arms and stepped back while eyeing the newcomer. Raven hung back and acted nonchalant, but Robin knew her well enough to gauge that she was, at least, mildly intrigued by the appearance of the famous stranger everyone had gravitated towards.

Batman very subtly cleared his throat and Robin knew that that was his cue to break everything up. Bruce had taken only two steps into the room and already he had been completely cornered. Just for making him wait more than a week, Robin decided that a little payback was in order. He went right into introductions, "Everyone, this is Batman; Batman, that's Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Raven," Robin gestured to each of his friends respectively.

Bruce was polite; or rather he didn't completely brush off the other Titans members with a snub that would have rivaled even the stereotype of his aristocratic alter ego. Obviously not wanting to waste anymore time than that had already been spent, Batman cleared his throat once again. The second time, however, was slightly more noticeable.

Truth be told, Robin was excruciatingly curious as to what Bruce had to say. He had been completely patient for a long time and he was finally ready to get his assignment. "You know why I'm here," Batman's voice rumbled to his ex-sidekick. The other Teen Titans turned their heads in their leader's direction.

They hadn't known about their previous meeting and were all wondering what was up and just why they had been left out of something so obviously important. "Yeah," Robin responded-his pulse racing at the prospect of some major assignment, "where exactly is this 'thing' that you wanted me to watch for you?" "It's not exactly a 'thing'," Batman said as he tipped his head as if to beckon something.

Robin frowned and thought how aggravating all of the coded messages were-that was until he felt cool breath on the back of his neck and lips brushing his ear that gave off a quiet "_Boo_." His heart nearly stopped as he spun around to come face-to-face with a _girl_…

"What the _hell_?" Robin exclaimed as his eyes ran up and down the blonde girl dressed in a full-blown costume that looked like a female sidekick version of Batman. _Don't say it…_Robin willed; _Don't say this is who you want me to watch…_ "This…is Batgirl," said Batman-seemingly enjoying Robin's shocked reaction. Though the girl's arms were crossed, she managed to wiggle a few fingers at the Titans in a greeting.

At that point, Robin felt sick…


	5. Chapter 5:Babysit

Ok, so I got an unhappy review and-not that I want to signal you out or anything, because I don't and I really DO appreciate your comment-there is a very good reason that she is a blonde Batgirl. I hope that all of you can just trust me for now and I will definately try to make a better explanation in the VERY NEXT chapter or so when I actually show her point of view. So, please, please, PLEASE don't be discouraged with me thinking that I have not done my research (I have actually done hours because I am a HUGE and avid fan of anything remotely affiliated with superheros) I just have my reasons and it will all fall into place in the upcoming chapters! SO LOOK OUT FOR THE UPCOMING AUTHOR'S NOTES IN THE BEGINNING OF MY CHAPTERS, THEY USUSALLY HAVE THINGS IN THEM THAT ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT I GET IN THE REVIEWS THAT ARE SENT TO ME. ALSO, I WILL TRY TO MAKE MY WRITING CLEARER FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT USED TO MY STYLE YET AND HAVEN'T READ ANY OF MY OTHER WORK! Oh, yeah and thanks so much for telling me that my story was well-written so far! I really appreciate that! Thanks so much again and I hope that I haven't deterred any of you from reading my story! Hope you all enjoy it!!! ALSO... ( I know that this is probably the LONGEST author's note in the history of sorry about it!) I just got a WONDERFUL review from someone (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) and I wanted to take the time to thank them like I promised I would. So, THANKS! I will definately try to add some more "sexual tension" and I have it all planned out already, so I really hope you enjoy. Also, thanks for letting me know that my writing was not overly descriptive ; ) and not too vague. SO...KEEP ON REVIEWING ALL OF YOU!!! PLEASE!!! Here is the next chapter!

Babysit

Finally, Robin found words, "You…want me to watch…_her_?" Though they had been choaked out and sounded more like a sputtering gasp than a coherent sentence; the words were still something to give him a foothold back to sanity. He turned back and forth from Batman to the newcomer, Batgirl. Robin's mind flitted to the thought that the girl standing before him had replaced him, but quickly went back to the mess at hand. "I can't watch her! Is this some kind of joke-a prank?" He could hear Beast Boy's hysterical laughter nearby, but all Robin saw was Batman's completely serious face. It worried him…

Robin looked back at the girl. She stood there as everyone eyed her-judged her, wondered why she was special enough for a superhero of Batman's caliber to choose as a backup sidekick. Though all the eyes were on her, Batgirl didn't waver; she stood completely still with her arms crossed like some sort of barrier. She sure had the whole "Batman look" down…her face just _did not_ move. Though she was wearing a mask, Robin could tell that her eyes were trained on his own body, causing him to be unnerved.

With a scoff, he walked over to Bruce, "We need to talk." He and his mentor walked over to the windows so they could talk in semi-privacy while the others had their turns admiring and interrogating the newcomer. The two of them had had a "falling-out" of sorts, which was the whole reason Robin had left in the first place, but at that moment he wished that things were back to normal. Robin looked out the window at the waves crashing on the rocky shore many stories below and suddenly he felt as if his head had been placed between those waves and boulders.

When he was sure his friends were too absorbed to overhear them, he threw up his hands, "Are you trying to prove something, here?" he said it a little louder than he had intended to. "What are you talking about?" Robin was beginning to despise the nonchalant look that Batman seemed to have super glued on. He decided, however, not to dignify the last comment and instead retorted with a, "You very well know what the hell I am talking about. You are asking me to 'tie up some loose ends' with someone whom I have never even _heard_ of, who has taken my _place_, and now you want me to…_watch_ her as if I am some kind of babysitter! Are you mad? I'm seventeen, running my own team of heroes, working my way up to the Justice League, and now you are dumping something like _this_ on me-"

"First of all," Batman cut off Robin's rant, "she's not a 'thing', she's a human being. Second, it's not like Bat is some kind of a kid. She is very well capable of taking care of herself." Robin frowned, "Then why are you making me look after her? Can't she just stay with Alfred back home? Doesn't she have a family?" "Gotham doesn't need her; Alfred has enough to handle looking after the mansion; and she can tell you if she has any family-it's her choice," Batman answered each one of Robin's rambled questions respectively.

"Wait, family-" Robin began, confused, until Bruce, once again, cut him off. "I mean, she doesn't know about _your_ past so it is up to her as to what you know about _hers_." Robin wasn't expecting that. Naturally, as having someone take his place, he would have expected that "someone" to know absolutely everything about him. That included the more shadowed areas. Out of curiosity, Robin asked, "Does she know my name?" He knew it was off topic, but he had to know. "I wouldn't be surprised," Batman said, causing Robin's stomach to drop beneath the floor, "She's got quite a head on her shoulders. Rivals even yours."

Clearing his throat, Robin brushed off the last comment-denying that he felt any jealousy whatsoever. "What is my incentive to do this for you. It's not like I will get an automatic in for the Justice League if I baby sit for a while." With what resembled a smirk, Batman leaned forward and lowered his voice, "Let's just consider this a form of payback for breaking into my building and taking my weapon…"

Even through his mask, it was easy to tell how wide Robin's eyes grew. When Slade had had him blackmailed and forced him to work for the wrong side of the law, Robin had been made to break into a Wayne Enterprises building and steal an experimental ray. It hadn't turned out being the most covert of operations, but Robin still hadn't thought that Bruce would have caught wind that it had been him. Not to mention he had been in disguise. He wondered what else that meant Batman knew about the happenings in the city. _Does he know about Slade?_ Robin thought. His inner panic was interrupted when Batman turned on his heel to go towards the circle of teenagers on the opposite side of the room.

Robin shifted from foot to foot and ran his hands back over his head and gave a mix between an aggravated whimper and a groan before following Batman. He knew that there was no way out of the whole mess because it was impossible to change Bruce's mind once it was made up. Besides, Batman actually had some dirt on him that time. He sighed, wondering how long Batgirl would be staying with them.

Robin could hear his friends' voices while he got closer. He put his palms on the back of his neck and let his arms hang. Everyone looked over at Robin, waiting for him to say something in protest. He, in turn, glanced at each of his friends and finally his eyes came to rest on Batgirl.

She still had her arms crossed, and even through her mask, he could tell that she was still staring back at him. Subtly biting the inside of his lip, Robin held out his right hand, "Batgirl…I'm-" "-Robin, I know," the girl interrupted him. Having a second thought, he closed and pulled his hand back as if from a poisonous snake. "And you're Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg," she motioned in each of the Titans' directions. "Whoa," said Beast Boy, "how did you know?" Batgirl gave a smirk, "I do my homework." Robin frowned; he could already tell that she had an attitude that could possibly put Bruce's to shame. He knew that he would definitely have some problems with that.

"So," Batman piped up, "now that all of the pleasantries have been exchanged, I'm going to head back to the Station." He looked over at Batgirl, "Your things will be here within a few days and if you need anything, don't hesitate to contact the League." Though Robin really didn't like the idea of Batgirl living there, he still felt the sting of Bruce's last comment. He had said it as if the Titans weren't capable of handling a girl. Robin scowled inwardly.

Batgirl gave a little nod in response; and, as if to the general audience, Batman said, "We'll be in touch," and he stepped out the doorway and disappeared. The team was left with only an awkward silence in place of the great hero who had once occupied the space. They all looked at Batgirl once again and she quietly stared back. Starfire spoke up-she wasn't very good in dealing with silence, "So…Batgirl, did you know Robin before you came here?" There was a pause before she responded, "No, but I heard _of_ him of course." Robin thought she seemed to be speaking to him instead of Starfire, but he could have just been imagining it, "His reputation precedes him…" Robin shifted and put a hand on his hip, "Oh, really…"

The other team members' eyes shifted back and forth with the banter. Even they could tell that Robin was practically shooting daggers at the girl, but they all weren't quite sure as to why. He gave a scoff, "Look, I don't have time to look after a little _girl_, so-" "Whoa, whoa, _whoa_…" Batgirl cut in, "_I_ am not a little girl. I am sixteen, only a _year_ younger than you, if my calculations are correct!" The Titans looked back at Robin. He had definitely misjudged Batgirl-thinking that she was only around thirteen or fourteen, but he had been wrong. Robin swallowed as Batgirl began again, "And secondly, I am very well capable of taking care of myself, thank you. The only reason I'm here is to give Batman peace of mind while chases after _Wonder_ Woman…"

Their minor-scale staring contest was interrupted, however, when Cyborg chuckled, "Man…now _that_ was funny!" Soon, Beast Boy joined in. Robin couldn't help but think to himself about the very prospect of Batman chasing after _anyone_. _Wonder woman?_ he thought and his inner-self gave a snicker.

To recompose himself, Robin cleared his throat and was about to speak, but he was interrupted by Batgirl, "But you would have already known that, right, Robin?" her voice had an edge to it as she placed her hands on her hips. Thrown completely off guard, Robin remained speechless. Seeing what was happening and finally coming to Robin's rescue as she spoke for the first time, Raven piped in, "Ok, then. I think it's time for a tour." He looked over at the cloaked girl and shot her a grateful look that he remembered she probably wasn't able to see.

As if on a perfect cue, Cyborg and Beast Boy cried out in unison, "I'll do it!" to Raven's suggestion. They looked as if they were trying to knock each other over and the previously cocky Batgirl gave a quiet laugh. It was not a sound that they had heard before, so the team turned to look at her. Clearing his throat yet again, Robin gave a gruff, "_I_ will give her the tour…" Without waiting another second, he stepped forward and brushed past Batgirl, nearly bumping shoulders with her. When she hesitated in following him, Robin reached back and grabbed her upper arm and practically pulled her out of the room.

Before the doors slid shut behind them, Robin was sure he heard a groan come from both Cyborg and Beast Boy. He didn't care. All he wanted to do was set some ground rules so he wouldn't be upstaged in front of his team again. Robin found himself wondering just how long Batgirl would be staying with them for the second time in a span of five minutes…


	6. Chapter 6:Tour

**VERY IMPORTANT TO STORYLINE-MUST READ!** Hi there, readers and reviewers! Here is Chapter 6 of my fanfic! All right, I finally bring more of Batgirl into the storyline and we get an insight into her point of view, but some of you may think that I have not done my research correctly. Diehard fans PLEASE don't kill me, but for my own convenience and preference, I have changed the actual identity and background of Batgirl to help the story flow easier and make more sense. I have used the Batgirl from the 1997 movie _Batman & Robin_. I basically use as little as possible from the movie, but I took the fact that she had an affiliation with Alfred (I don't want to give too much away for those of you who haven't seen the movie and want to be somewhat surprised) and that Alfred was "ill"-that's about it. I have even changed some of that to help me write. Alicia Silverstone plays her and her secret identity is Barbara Wilson. It is not like I am particularly fond of the movie or the actress, or even her _name_ for that matter, it just makes my plotline easier for me (and everyone else) to follow and it will definitely help keep the continuity. I haven't made up my own Batgirl, but have used a less well-known one to help the ease of writing. So, like I said, don't kill me because you think I have not done my research, in fact, I have done hours of it. SO PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Try to keep up as I switch from point of view to point of view! I will try my best to keep it as simple as possible for all of you who are not used to my writing! ENJOY! P.S. I am REALLY sorry if I mess up the layout of the Tower, I am doing it from memory only!

Tour

Batgirl allowed herself to be dragged along through the sliding doors and away from the other Titans members. She wasn't stupid, she knew why Robin wanted to get her alone. She had pissed him off, but-truth be told-that was not what she had intended to do.

In fact, she had actually _admired_ Robin back when she had been living in the Mansion. Everything was "Robin this" and "Robin that". The way that Alfred and-even Bruce sometimes-had spoken of the alleged "Boy Wonder" they had made it seem as if no one could ever take his place. She could even tell that Batman missed his sidekick every once in a while. They were rather big shoes for her to fill. Bat (the pet name that had been bestowed upon her) would have given anything to meet Robin, but now that it was all a reality, it was a little much.

The first time she saw Robin, her heart had leapt into her throat and, not that she was a cliché-loving person, but her heart even skipped a beat. Sure, Batgirl had seen many photographs of Robin throughout the newspapers, but-compared to real life-none did him justice. He was cute-handsome even-and the tight leggings were _very _flattering. It had taken every ounce of her willpower not to pounce on him with excitement at finally having had the privilege to meet her predecessor. It only helped the fact that he was hot.

The only thing that upset her was the fact that _he_ didn't seem as enthusiastic about meeting _her_. That was what had thrown her mood off. Batgirl hated nothing more than someone who didn't have the balls to speak to her face just because she was a girl. Robin had spoken with Bruce about the situation instead of to her. She felt as if the whole world had plans for her and she was the only one not allowed to hear the secret.

Robin sounded as if his whole life had been thrown completely topsy-turvy because the Teen Titans had a temporary member. No one had cared to ask Batgirl how she felt about the whole situation…how much of her life had she left back in the different homes she had left behind to follow her dreams and ambitions.

Robin's comments had tipped her over the edge. She knew she didn't look her age half of the time, but he had called her a "_little girl_". That set her off and from that point on; she was only looking for every little nit-picky thing to grind Robin down. It was a skill that she loved using on her opponents-both verbally, mentally, and physically-but it gave her some satisfaction that she was able to trap Robin in one of her schemes…even if she admired him.

Bat refocused on the moment at hand. Robin's large, gloved palm still enclosed her bicep, but she was still able to feel the heat it gave off through her sleeve. She thought another second and then tried to wrench her arm free, but to no avail. True, Batgirl hadn't put much effort into it, but she also hadn't known how strongly Robin was holding her. She continued to be dragged.

Robin felt Batgirl tug at her arm. He thought they were far enough away from the living room that they could have some sort of a semblance of a conversation without being interrupted. Stopping, he turned to face the girl, but he didn't let go of her extremity. "Who the _hell_ do you think you are?" he could tell his harsh tone had startled Batgirl slightly. It wasn't even one that he used often-not to mention on people who were _not_ Slade. _Good…_ he thought. "You don't treat a team leader that way…let alone in front of his own team. Got that? As long as you stay in _my_ tower, you will follow the same rules as everyone else." Robin's inner-self groaned at the thought that he was really beginning to sound like Bruce.

"Alright?" he frowned down at her. Batgirl stared back up at him and he couldn't help but wonder what color eyes she had underneath the black mask. "Ok," she said shortly. Once again, caught off guard, Robin's face softened, "What?" His grip on Batgirl's upper arm loosened and she released herself. "I said 'ok'. I can respect rules," she put her hands back on her hips. "Good, then we understand each other," Robin said, equally as curtly. Bat raised an eyebrow in the same fashion she had earlier, "So…where's _my_ room?"

Her room…Robin hadn't thought about that. He ran through the mental list of all of the rooms in Titans Tower. There were seven usable bedrooms in all, one each for him, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire. The sixth was Terra's, but that had been left in the care of Beast Boy after the whole Slade and Terra taking over the city and Terra being turned to stone incident. That only left the last spare bedroom, but that was neglected to have been fixed after one of the Slade's attacks on the Tower. Which basically meant that it wasn't in very good shape and had a large hole in the wall. It wasn't very suitable for habitation and neither were any of the other rooms in the Tower as they were all filled with evidence, weapons, and storage among other things. That only left the living room.

"Well, actually, our only spare bedroom is being…renovated and the only place left is the commons room, if you don't mind. It's not like we had much notice that I was actually going to be watching a _person_," Robin said, curious as to her reaction and wondering if she was spoiled from living in the Mansion. "Fine…I'm cool with that," Batgirl replied very nonchalantly, much to Robin's surprise. "I'm not very high-maintenance," she smiled and brushed past Robin, "Now, how about that tour you were supposed to give me…or shall I just explore on my own?"

Batgirl kept walking away and Robin stared after her. He couldn't help but watch the fluid way her body moved as she confidently strode away as if she owned the place. Robin's teeth gritted. One minute, she was practically making fun of him in front of his friends, the next she acted all buddy-buddy. _What is she…bi-polar or something?_ Robin grumbled to himself. Forcing himself to stop staring, Robin caught up to Batgirl, "No, no. I think I should probably come with you." "What," she smiled, "don't you trust me?" Robin chose not to answer that and instead looked straight ahead as the two of them slowly made their way to the wing where the bedrooms were located.

"Batman does…," she said in an almost-whisper. Robin pretended he hadn't heard what she had said. They walked the rest of the way in silence to where the bedrooms began in the "T" shaped tower. "Here's where the private rooms are located," Robin gestured in the opposite direction, "and over there's the bathroom and just a few other rooms that don't matter to you." He walked forward, but Batgirl stayed still, "What's in them?" "In what?" Robin asked, slightly agitated that she wasn't making it easy. He walked back to her side, "In what?" "The rooms," she said, curious. "Nothing-just files and things. It's mostly because we ran out of space in the other filing and evidence rooms…can we continue?" Robin replied hurriedly.

She followed, slowly, but she did. Robin motioned to the first room on their way through the series of hallways, "That will be your room-that is, if you stay here long enough for it to be redone." He thought he heard her snicker, but he could have been mistaken. They went through the tour from Beast Boy all the way to his own room, "This is mine. I guess if you even need anything during the night, I'll be in here or one of the filing rooms on this floor," he offered, trying to be at least a tiny bit hospitable. He watched as she hovered around his door, looking at it as if it were something extremely interesting.

It was the first chance Robin had actually gotten to get a good look at Batgirl. She had on a body suit very similar to Batman's, but a shorter cape and a mask similar to his own-not the full-headed one Bruce had. Her tight black gloves stretched almost to her elbow and he utility belt was fashioned similar to Robin's. Everything looked odd on her because it looked as if it belonged on either him or Batman instead; the only difference was that it was all tweaked to fit a female. There were slight alterations that only a trained eye could notice.

For one, her cape resembled a shrunken one of Batman's, though Robin could tell that it was made out of the same extremely strong, yet pliable, material as his own while her utility belt was slung low on her hips so it looked more like an accessory than an actual weapon. Robin allowed his eyes to travel up and down Batgirl's body as he examined every last detail of her costume-from her mid-leg black boots, to her thin mask, and finally to her long, shockingly almost platinum blonde hair. _How can she be any good at taking anybody by surprise with that head of hair?_ Robin thought.

"You have a lock," Batgirl interrupted his thoughts. "I'm sorry?" Robin was confused and there was a slight edge to his tone. Any idiot could tell he had a special lock on his door, so why did it matter. Frankly, Robin was only irked because he thought he had been caught staring. "You have a lock on your door…how come the others don't?" _Oh…_ She was rather perceptive considering the electronic lock had been designed so it didn't stand out too much. "I like my privacy," he grumbled as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Bat gave a laugh, "You sound just like Bruce." Robin rolled his eyes, having thought the same thing only a few minutes before. He turned on his heel to head back down the way they had come, "And your point is…?" Batgirl easily caught up with him, "I never said it was a bad thing," she fell into step with his long strides. Robin didn't respond. Instead, they reached the elevator and both entered it in silence. "This is the top level, there is roof access only by stairs though a doorway at the end opposite the bedrooms," he said almost mechanically as he ran through his memorized list of the Tower. He signaled for them to descend and they were soon slowing and arriving at the next floor.

The had ridden in silence and as the doors slid open, Robin spoke up, "This is the main training floor." The two of them stepped into a large room with a giant wall of windows that looked out onto a rather stunning view of the harbor. There was practically every type of exercise equipment ever designed lining the other three windowless walls. They ranged from weights to punching bags to everything else one could imagine. Weighted, padded sparring staffs lined one of the walls and Batgirl guessed that those belonged to Robin, as she couldn't picture any of the other Titans members having to use a weapon. She smiled-it had been her weapon of choice as well.

Bat walked to the center of the great room to a wide-open matted area. It was the space used for practicing fighting sequences. Batgirl felt like she was in heaven. Back at the mansion, she had only been allowed to train in the dark Cave where everything could be concealed from the prying eyes of reporters trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious and eligible bachelor the house belonged to. Now, not only was she able to train in the daylight, but it such nice surroundings.

Robin watched Batgirl as she walked around the middle of the room. The smile on her face was unmistakable, "A bit different from the Bat Cave?" he knew full well the answer, and he just wanted to hear her say it. She turned her head in his direction, "Yes…completely." The look on Bat's face was enough to almost make Robin forget just how pissed off he had been at her only minutes before. "It's the whole reason I had this room commissioned…I didn't care to train in the Cave, either," he said.

Robin watched as she made her way around the room while the setting sunlight bathed each wall with its flickers reflecting off of the harbor. Soon, it would be dark and it would be his turn to go on patrol. Robin contemplated on taking Batgirl with him to give her the basic gist of the city's layout, but she was probably tired. "Why don't we head back to the others?" he spoke up, "We can finish the tour tomorrow." Silently, Batgirl obeyed and made her way over to his side. Together, they rode the elevator back to the top floor in silence.


	7. Chapter 7:Identity

YAY!!! Here is my SEVENTH chapter for _All's Fair in Competition and Love_, and I am SOOOO excited! I had a little difficulty writing this chapter, as you readers may probably be able to tell once you finish it. Oh, and I am not sure as to exactly how tall Robin is or what his blood-type is I just had to make something up for the sake of my fanfic. Sorry all of you other avid fans out there, I wasn't able to find the correct info that I needed so I was, sadly, forced to improvise. Well, here you all go! Hope you enjoy and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!! You know the drill!

Identity

Robin walked through the darkened hallway that led from the elevator to the bedrooms. He reassessed trying to go to sleep, no matter what time his communicator told him it was. He had just gotten off of his shift as the last watch of the night. Robin should have been done hours ago, had there not been two robberies-one armed, but both by amateurs-and a cat stuck in a tree. Robin was able to easily take care of everything himself, though he had to chase those damned robbers all the way around the city before he finally got them, but he still hadn't needed to contact the other Titans.

He turned down the hallway that led to the living room instead of the private rooms. His adrenalin was still pounding through his veins at that point and he knew it would have been pointless to try to sleep. Robin silently contemplated winding down for a good half-hour and possibly finally getting dome sleep by four AM…

Robin sighed and the dimly lit hallway opened up to the door that led to the living room. As he got closer, the hydraulically powered doors slid open as if in a greeting. He was instantly grateful that all of the lights had been turned off-it gave him a chance to collect his thoughts. Without even needing to look around, Robin reached over and pressed his hand to a pad beside the door and, with an electronic sound accompanied with by a short green flash, the Tower was on lockdown. When he stepped further into the room, the doors slid shut behind him, closing off all of the remaining light that had once spilled in from the hallway.

Not that he really needed it, but Robin was able to make out the vague details of the commons room by the silvery light that reflected off the undulating water stories below. It gave everything an eerie, other-worldly glow, but he didn't mind. Stretching his arms around his body, Robin walked through the near pitch-black darkness to the couch. He snatched up the remote off of the back of the piece of furniture-the only reason he knew it was in that exact place was because he, himself had left it in that same spot before he had gone on his watch and sent his team off to either practice or hit the sack because he was determined to resume some hardcore training in the morning.

With another sigh, Robin placed a palm flat on the backrest of the couch and launched himself over the side and landed on the cushion…or at least what he thought was the cushion…

He was soon back on his feet as quickly as he could say "lights!" The room was flooded with the bright light and, momentarily blinded, he found himself looking down at a very pissed off Batgirl. He had heard an _oof_, which had startled him and, in fact, turned out to be Bat. "Do you mind?" she glared back up at him. With whatever winding down he had accomplished undone, Robin's head was once again throbbing with the rush of adrenalin. At first he felt concerned that he had hurt the girl, but that quickly dissolved into annoyance. _She_ was the one in _his_ tower and he should be able to sit wherever the hell he wanted to.

"I-I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked; deciding to allow the gentler side of him show through, at least until he got the attitude from her that he was certain was coming. "No," Batgirl replied, "it was just my stomach." Now that he thought about it, Robin wasn't so sure that half of the hostility he had previously thought Batgirl had given off was actually virtually nonexistent. "Sorry about that," Robin nearly dropped the remote control-Bat had laid herself back out on the couch and he could see every ripple of her muscles through her skin-tight costume that she still had on. Robin swallowed.

"Were you-uh, asleep?" he asked her, trying to tear his eyes away from Batgirl's body. Just because he thought she had an attitude bigger than the size of Gotham City didn't change the fact that he was a teenage boy with raging adrenalin and hormones. "No," she sighed and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the couch. She bent over in half and snatched up the blanket that was discarded on the floor. "I can go if you want to get some sleep," he offered and gestured towards the door, but she cut him off. "No-I'm okay. It's not like I was really out cold any way." As if in a peace offering, Bat motioned for him to join her on the black leather couch.

Only with a slight hesitation, Robin sat down beside her, holding the remote in his lap. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Batgirl tug the blanket around her shoulders after pulling her knees to her chest. He glanced around to see that her cape was folded neatly on the coffee table with her utility belt laid across the top of it, as there was a lack of closet space for her. Just to break the silence, Robin asked her quietly, "If you weren't sleeping, then what were you doing?" Bat sighed, "Just…watching the darkness." She smiled to herself, "Did you forget that I'm used to staying up to all hours of the night with Batman?" Robin gave a flicker of a smile in remembrance, "Yeah…" He looked back over at her and noticed something.

"You-uh-have something on your cheek," he spoke up. She looked over at him and put her gloved hand to her face, "I do? Where?" Rubbing the high part of her cheekbone, she got off the black smudge. She looked at her hand, "Oh," she snickered, "It's just some grease from when I helped Cyborg with the T-Car." "You what?" Batgirl smiled, "I said I helped Cyborg work on the Car, but that was after I kicked his and Beast Boy's butts in some video games, meditated with Raven, and did Starfire's hair…" Robin's jaw nearly dropped. "Why? What's the matter?" she read the look on his face. He had the most overwhelming feeling that his friends had begun to switch their alliances to the girl he was gaping at.

Robin thought frantically for an answer. Frowning, he said, "I specifically told the team to either train or get some rest! Not…play around and goof off…now they'll be nothing more than lumps tomorrow!" Robin sat forward as the volume of his voice increased. He was never that snappy, but he somehow felt helpless against his whims at that point.

As Robin stared back into Batgirl's unchanging face, she retorted, "But they _did_ train-we need the T-Car to get around, video games increase hand-eye coordination, Raven can't perform at her peak unless she meditates, and Starfire-what are you staring at?" Bat stopped mid-thought when she saw Robin's expression. There were no words for what Robin was feeling at that moment. It was a completely indescribable mixture of awe, confusion, jealousy, and…something else. Confusion, because he had no idea how the other Titans had warmed up so quickly to Batgirl and he found it impossible that she had learned so much about all of them in only a matter of hours; jealousy, because they were _his_ friends and he was supposed to be the one spending quality time with them.

Unable to say anything else, Robin stood up and walked all the way around the couch to leave for his bedroom. He stormed off, not even bothering to pick up the remote control that had spilled onto the floor when Robin had righted himself. It hit with a resounding _clunk_ and he tried to ignore it.

Robin only stopped when he heard Batgirl's quite voice pipe up. He thought about not stopping for a second, but he decided to give her a chance to apologize for screwing up his team's schedule. Robin froze when his mind processed the words Bat had said, "You don't like me much, do you?" He could have been mistaken, but the way she had said it seemed as if she actually cared about what he thought of her.

Looking over his shoulder, Robin saw that Batgirl hadn't changed positions and he momentarily wondered if he had heard things. That was until he noticed her shifting and looking back over her own shoulder at him. Robin sighed. He had no idea why, but the way she had sounded had made him feel bad and begin to regret what he'd said. As he turned around to say something, he saw Bat pivot on the couch away from him again and heard her say a barely audible, "Never mind."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Robin opened his mouth to speak again, but ended up shutting it and making himself resemble a fish in distress. He sighed again, but it came out louder the second time. He slowly closed the gap between his previous position and the back of the couch. "It's…not that I don't like you…," he began, planning out each word carefully so he didn't make a complete ass of himself, "I'm just not used to…having someone question my authority…that's all…" Robin paused to gauge her reaction. All he got in return; however, was silence and the slight rustle as Batgirl pulled the blanket tighter around her clothed body.

He didn't really want to say anything else if he was simply going to be ignored, but he kept on going anyway, "I-I just have a difficult time trusting people sometimes. Batman must have at least _warned_ you about that," he made a lame attempt at lightening the mood, but nothing seemed to be working. That was until he heard a little laugh emit from the girl he was trying to have a conversation with, "No, he failed to mention it, actually." She turned and gave a small smile. It wasn't as bright as the one Robin had seen earlier, but it was better than nothing, "But I guess I should have known about that anyway, shouldn't I?"

Robin cocked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" She shifted again, "Do you honestly think Batman would have let an ignorant sidekick take the place of his 'most trusted ward'?" Robin was still confused and she noticed, "Like I said earlier…I do my homework." Batgirl turned so she was facing the window once again. "What does _that_ mean?" Robin felt that he was beginning to sound like a broken record, but he was still curious. "Nothing…only that I know more about you than you think…" He thought he was able to hear her smirk.

Robin's fists clenched. One minute he was trying to make her feel better and the next all she was doing was pissing him off. It was so damn…infuriating. What was worse was that he couldn't help but wonder how much she knew. Bruce had warned him that Batgirl was smart and probably knew his secret identity, but that didn't change the way Robin felt about the whole situation. The whole goddamn point of a secret identity was that it was supposed to remain _secret_ from absolutely everyone-especially those one didn't want to find out. "And…?" Robin's teeth gritted. Just having the girl there for a few hours had already taken a huge toll on his sanity.

"'And', what…Richard John Grayson?" Batgirl asked with a huge dash of attitude. God how he wanted to hit her at that point…he never contemplated hitting a girl before and to help make himself feel slightly better, Robin thought about how she could probably hold her own pretty well. No matter how much he thought about it, though, nothing made him feel better about having contemplated such a thing. However, he spoke through gritted teeth, "Good guess…how'd you know," he'd said it as more of a demand than a request.

As he glared at the golden back of Batgirl's head, she spoke, "Oh, just a little research, background checks, …custody and adoption papers that I sorted through when Batman was away…" "So, in other words, you went through things you shouldn't have-" "Call it…creative detective work…" she interrupted him and said in a cheeky voice.

Bat looked over her shoulder to judge Robin's reaction. The look she was greeted with was not a pleasant one. True, the more that she thought about it, the more she realized she had probably picked the wrong time to bring up Robin's real identity, but she still stared at his furious face and waited for him to say something more…to throw her out…to send her out on the first chance he got back to Gotham…hell, to even call up Alfred at that moment to come and get her; but he didn't. All Robin-or, rather, Richard-did was glare at her. Batgirl was used to this sort of reaction when she revealed that she knew something that people had thought was safely guarded. She guessed she always picked the worst times to reveal these things because it was her way of sort of testing the waters-seeing just how far she was able to push someone before they snapped on her.

She _had_ gone through, basically, Robin's entire history and personal past. She knew all about how his parents had been killed when he was younger and how Bruce had taken him under his wing as his guardian and, finally years later, adopted him. She knew everything from his height (5 feet, 5 inches), all the way to his blood type (O+)-not that she was a stalker or anything; she just had a near-photographic memory. The only thing that she was unable to find was a picture of Robin without his mask. She thought it was odd considering that Bruce had absolutely everything else on Richard Grayson except an actual photograph. However, Bat couldn't help but wonder what had gone so wrong between adoptive father and son so they were hardly even speaking…

"Still think you don't hate me?" Batgirl asked in a hushed tone-not really wanting to know the answer, but still yearning for one. She was testing him in her own, slightly sick and twisted way. Robin took a deep, cleansing breath before replying, "I guess I should have been more prepared for that. Batman warned me you had a good head on those shoulders…" Bat was unprepared for that response and her silence spoke volumes to Robin, "I guess…if you don't say anything to any of the other guys, then…we'll call it even. I will try my best to not…seem like I hate you all the time…and you can stop being so…_you_, ok?" Robin suddenly felt exhausted as the remaining adrenalin in his system finished working itself out. Not bothering to see the expression on her face, Robin tilted his head back and rubbed his eyes through his mask with the heels of his palms.

He had gotten so tired so suddenly and it was odd. Usually, Robin was an insomniac and had the hardest time even forcing himself to feel the slightest bit weary, but that was exactly how he was feeling at that moment. He refocused on the astounded Batgirl. She all but had her mouth slightly ajar at the words Robin had uttered. Robin was aware enough to know that she hadn't exactly expected him to-in an odd way, to say the very least-forgive her for snooping where she definitely should not have.

Robin spoke up again, "Look, we don't have to be best friends or anything…but we can at least get along." Batgirl nodded in reply. "Right, then," Robin said as he turned on his heels, "like I told you earlier, if you need anything, you know where we are." With that, the hydraulic doors slid shut behind him and blocked Batgirl's line of sight.

She simply sat there in silence and attempted to process all that had happened. Bat had told Robin that she knew one of his most guarded secrets and, at first at least; he had acted as she had anticipated, but in the end he had instead practically all but laughed it off. It was definitely not the reaction she had been waiting for-especially not with how she had pegged him as of their first encounter. She felt like he had entrusted her to keep a very important secret and he hardly knew her. For all he knew, she could go out and accidentally blurt it out to all of the other Titans. The trust that he showed her was so foreign and made her take a deep breath to regain her senses.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was such an odd thing that even Robin's best friends had no idea that he was really Richard Grayson. Batgirl understood the importance of keeping it a secret, but from your most trusted friends and the ones with whom you live and work with on a daily basis? Then, she made the comparison between the Titans and the Justice League. She had spent a lot of time back on the Station and she knew that all identities were secret, except it's hard to do so when one lives with such super sleuths and mind readers as the Justice League. Sighing, Bat realized just how much she missed her friends back in space.

Batgirl's eyes flicked to the floor and she caught sight of the black remote control Robin had dropped on his way out. She leaned over and snatched it up. Setting it in the center of the coffee table, Bat wondered how tomorrow would turn out. Her voice rang out with the word "lights" and she was once again bathed in the silvery moonlight reflecting through the tall glass windows. Feeling around, she found the pillow and placed it beneath her elbow. Batgirl decided that she would try her best to actually get some sleep, but it was so difficult with the amount of things she had running through her mind.

Slowly, Robin made his way back to his bedroom. He walked through the numerous hallways without thinking about what he was doing since his mind was already preoccupied. He couldn't believe that that girl knew his identity. Not only that, but he was certain that she had said the words "custody and adoption papers". That could only have meant that she knew that Bruce Wayne was his adoptive father. _Not that he really acts like it…_ Robin thought slightly resentfully.

Robin couldn't help but be amazed with his reaction at the way he had acted towards the incident. He had had the expected rage, but it had all faded away to forgiveness. It wasn't something that made sense, but Robin was just too weary to care at that point. To give himself a little bit more of a sound mind, Robin forced himself to blame his almost nonchalant attitude on his utter exhaustion.

He arrived at his own bedroom door and paused. Out of frustration, he kicked the titanium frame with his metal-toed boot. It gave a satisfying _clank_ and he waited for the short echo to finish resounding before placing his hand on the keypad and let himself into the darkened room. Without bothering to turn on the lights as the doors slid shut behind him, Robin couldn't help but think just how correct Beast Boy's earlier comment might actually be. Maybe all he really needed was to get laid… He couldn't help but laugh at the idea.

**See? The wording was kind of awkward in some places and I tended to repeat myself a little, but I hope that it mad at least a little bit of sense to all of you! Review please! I need encouragement!!!**


	8. Chapter 8:Coffee

FILLER CHAPTER!!! PLEASE DON"T KILL ME OUT OF BOREDOM!!! I wrote this chapter because I thought it would help develop Robin and Batgirl's relationship and help show more of Bat as an actual character, so nothing much really happens, but I think it's REALLY cute! HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!! PLEASE REVIEW, I NEED REVIEWS!!!

Coffee

Batgirl woke up early the next morning and blinked away her bleary sight to discover that she was indeed in the Titans' Tower. It hadn't been a dream… Looking around, she was momentarily blinded by the nearly harsh sunlight beaming in from the sunrise. She sighed, sat up, and stretched her arms high above her head-feeling every taught muscle flex and melt from her awkward sleeping position. The sun was more than halfway above the horizon created by the endless expanse of ocean.

She stood, snatched up her blanket, and folded it neatly before finally placing it on the couch beside the pillow she had slept on. She reached down and picked up her utility belt. Clipping it on and grabbing her heavy cape off of the coffee table, Bat walked over to the high windows to stare at the orange, pink, and red tinted waves. Carefully, she swung the cape over her shoulders and latched it to the three hooks and snaps to keep it securely in place. Her hands lingered on her shoulders while she let out a great yawn. She wasn't fussy, but she missed her room back at Wayne Manor…not to mention Alfred and Bruce. The view that she had woken up to, however, was a decent change from the expanse of gardens and rocky hillside that her bedroom overlooked back in Gotham.

Reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the beautiful sight of the vast city just waking up, Batgirl slowly made her way over to the kitchen in the back corner of the grand commons room. She looked around the kitchen and wondered what they had for breakfast. By that time back in Gotham, Alfred would have already prepared the first meal of the day and she would probably have been sitting down alone to eggs, juice, toast, and other variations of the usual meal before heading out to practice-per Bruce's request that she stay in shape even when he was not there to monitor her every move.

As she quietly shuffled through the various drawers and cabinets to get her bearings of the locations of everything in the kitchen, she wondered just how lonely Alfred must be in that huge mansion with nothing to do because there was no one to clean up after… _Maybe I'll give him a call later to see how he is doing on his own…_she thought to herself.

She went through the fridge, but was unable to find any juice and she wasn't brave enough to go through any of the leftovers to see what they were, nor did she want to upset anyone by eating their food, so she kept searching. Finally, she found some herbal tea in a cabinet, but, remembering how Raven had told her about her love of herbal tea, she thought better of it and pushed it off to the side. After doing so, Bat had to stand on her tiptoes to see to the back of the cabinet. There, she found a tin of coffee. She grabbed the cool metal container and looked at the label. The top of the can had a light layer of dust on it, but she could tell that it had remained unopened and-more than likely-forgotten. Batgirl didn't normally drink coffee as its caffeine gave her a high, but she normally crashed and burned pretty hard later on. After that point, there was no waking her up until her energy was restored. Damn had she learned _that_ the hard way. She gave a little laugh in remembrance and looked around the kitchen for a coffeemaker, deciding that it was probably a good idea that she used more milk in her drink from the container she thought she had spotted when she had gone through the fridge.

Just as she had expected, there was none in sight and she was forced to set the tin on the counter and rummage through the lower cabinets until she finally stood, successful. Plugging the contraption in, Bat set it up and opened the coffee tin. Inhaling the indescribably good scent, she finished preparing the brew and flicked the "on" button. A little red light turned on and the appliance made a pinging and a gurgling noise. Pleased with herself, Batgirl smiled in triumph. She went to the cabinet where she had found a few mugs placed haphazardly; she snatched one down and placed it carefully beside the coffeemaker.

Putting her hands on her hips, she glanced once more around the open kitchen. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink that she had noticed when she had to get the water for her coffee and there were empty bottles and cans left out on the countertops. Looking back at the tiny flashing timer on the coffeemaker, she realized she had some time and she went to the sink to do the dishes. All the while she left her gloves on for the ease of not getting the sleeves of her costume damp.

Batgirl figured it was the least she could do to thank the Titans for being so hospitable-not to mention that she wanted to show them that she was not just some pampered princess from living in Wayne Manor for such a long time. She knew that they had no idea where she had lived before, as they didn't know hers or Batman's secret identity, let alone Robin's. But still, she felt she had to prove something to Robin, at least. Rinsing off the sponge, she grabbed a dishrag off of the handle on the oven at her thigh level and she began to dry the dishes.

Stacking them up, Batgirl transported the glasses over to their respective cabinets and did the same with the plates. Afterwards, she carried the handful of clean silverware to the drawer in which they belonged, but she was forced to reorganize it, as there was no method to the madness that she found. Finally, she was able to tell where the spoons, knives, and forks all went and she bumped the drawer shut with her hip.

When Bat glanced back at the timer on the coffeemaker, she saw she still had a few minutes and walked back over to the sink. She grabbed the still-soaked sponge and wiped down all of the counters. Kicking the trashcan over to the counter she was walking towards, it was easier to brush all of the crumbs and other unidentifiable chunks directly into the garbage. She worked her way over to the countertop across from the fridge where she found an empty water bottle and its abandoned plastic top beside it. Picking it up, she held it in her hand and looked at the condensation that had accumulated there. She snatched up the cap and screwed it on. Also, grabbing the other cans and bottles that were scattered around the counters, Bat looked for a recycling bin to no avail. She was forced to find a discarded plastic bag from beneath another cabinet and shove everything in there. It was a non-conventional approach, but it worked. Hanging it from another cabinet beside the trashcan's respective place, she righted herself just in time to hear the three short beeps which signaled that her coffee was finally brewed.

Batgirl walked back over to the appliance and carefully separated the pot from the actual machine. After pouring the dark liquid into the mug and replacing the glass container, she walked over to the fridge. Opening it, with her one free hand, she reached in and got the milk jug. But, to her dismay, there was hardly any left in the plastic, gallon sized container and what was left was spoiled. The little inked-on numbers claimed the liquid should have been drunk by the fifth of _last_ month. With a sigh, Bat set her coffee down and held her breath while she poured the remaining off-white milk down the sink drain and rinsed out the container. Recapping it, she tossed it into the plastic recycling bag that she had created earlier.

Bat reached over and grabbed her still scalding hot coffee and walked around to sit at a barstool. It was only then that she saw the dishwashing machine. Batgirl couldn't help but laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all. She only stopped and choked on her breath when a voice suddenly came from behind her, "What's so funny?" Setting her coffee down so it wouldn't spill, she turned around to see Robin walking in through the doors to the living room.

Robin had just reset the alarms so the Tower was not on lockdown anymore and when he had turned around, he saw Batgirl sitting at the bar. He had heard her laugh and couldn't help but make a comment. He ran his hands through his black hair and walked over to where she was seated. She had repositioned herself so her elbows were reaching back to rest on the countertop. It was very difficult for him not to notice the way her chest was thrust outwards when she did this. For the second time in a mere matter of hours, he had to swallow deeply to keep himself in check. Forcing his eyes north-though he knew she was unable to tell where he was looking, he still felt guilty for eyeing her-Robin made a move to try to strike up a conversation on neutral territory so as not to cause any more tension between them than was necessary, "Do I smell coffee?" he asked, trying his best not to stutter or seem awkward.

Batgirl gave a beaming smile, "I hope you don't mind…I found some in the back of a cabinet and I thought it would be ok if I-" "No, it's fine. I've been bugging someone to go out and buy some for weeks, guess we actually have it," he stopped her ramble with one of his own. "You drink coffee?" Bat asked with a raised eyebrow.

By that time Robin had reached her and was standing a few inches in front of her stretched out legs. He had placed a hand on his hip and was doing everything in his willpower not to allow himself to stare. "On occasion…" he replied. "Want some?" she offered politely and looked into his face. He couldn't help but wonder if it was some sort of strange female peace offering, "Um, sure, I guess." Without a second of hesitation, Batgirl stood and brushed past him.

Robin watched in intently as Bat walked around the long counter and went to the cabinet with the mugs in it and she grabbed one. As she poured his caffeine-enriched drink, he stared at her back. "You sure know your way around the kitchen," Robin broke the silence. She replaced the pot and walked back over to him, "I've been up a while already." Robin took the stool that Batgirl had previously occupied and, straddling it, he sat down and got comfortable. Bat handed him the warming ceramic mug and he clutched it gratefully. It gave him something to do with his hands. "There's no milk, I tried that already, so I hope black's ok," she sounded almost apologetic about something that she had no control over. He gave a warmer smile than she ever seen him give to date to try to make her feel better, "No, no, black's how I like it," he wasn't lying either.

Bat gave him a smile in return and reached towards him. He couldn't help it when his heart skipped a beat when he wondered what she was going to do, but it turned out that she was only reaching for her own coffee mug that had been left beside him. He slowly let out a breath that he hadn't realized had been pent up in his lungs. "What?" Batgirl laughed. _Damn, she noticed,_ he thought quickly. "Nothing, just waking up still," Robin recovered.

Batgirl smiled, not fully believing him at all and she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the counter so they could both drink coffee and, possibly, have a conversation if either of them could think of something to say.

Robin held his coffee in his right hand near his face and he let the pungent aroma wash over him. Slyly, he looked across at Bat and examined the way she propped herself up. His eyes lingered on places he was not proud of staring at. Just to busy himself, Robin took a sip of the rich brown liquid in his mug, but he wasn't counting on it still being so hot. Robin swallowed quickly, but it burned all the way down. He was certain his awkward stupidity had burned off nearly all of his taste buds and a couple hundred-or-so nerve endings. His eyes nearly began burning and watering. Bat noticed his expression, "Do I _really_ need to tell you how hot the coffee is?" she couldn't help but snicker.

Robin let out a choked cough, "No, I'm good," he laughed a little too. He had been stupid, but only if Batgirl knew why he had done such a stupid thing, he wondered what she would do… Robin frowned inwardly; _I don't even _like_ her…why the hell am I attracted to her?_ After a few seconds of thought, he blamed it all on him still being drowsy and hormones…let's not forget those hormones…

Glancing over, he watched as Batgirl carefully sipped her own coffee and looked out the windows. Together, they sat in silence and sipped their coffee while waiting for the other team members to wake up so training could begin.

Robin looked up at the wall-clock to see that it was already almost eight in the morning and soon he would have to go and rouse the others so they wouldn't oversleep too much. He held his coffee mug in his palms, feeling its weight but not its heat through his gloves. It was an odd sensation, but he was used to it. Pivoting in his seat, Robin turned to look out the window with Batgirl. There was a silence, but it was not like all of the other ones that had occurred between the two of them. The one that was drawing out at that point was comfortable and warm-almost like they were truly friends and had known each other for years instead of a little over a day-and not at all like the tension filled ones they had encountered before. Maybe, just maybe, they could become friends… That is if Robin could ever let go of his slight resentment with the fact that the girl standing across from him knew more about him than he did of her.


	9. Chapter 9:Challenge

"Awww, how cute!" came Cyborg's voice from the doorway of the living room. Robin and Batgirl spun around to the boisterous sound and each of them thought they saw the other blush, but they could have been mistaken. The two of them were still sitting across from each other at the kitchen counter. They watched as Cyborg joined them and completely shattered the silence they had once been quietly savoring. "Enjoying a little morning coffee together?" he gave Robin a coy smile. Robin grumbled, "You're as bad as Beast Boy…" and looked back out the window. Batgirl had no idea what was going on, but she was smart enough to have a good guess. Robin was being pestered about his love life obviously and she, being the newest female target in the Tower was the next one to be pestered about it.

Instead of commenting as she wanted to so badly, Bat greeted Cyborg, "Morning, Cy." The half-human gave her a sweet and warm smile, "Morning to you too!" She wasn't daft; Bat knew why he and Beast Boy had been hanging on her like ants to honey; nor was she too full of herself where she would give them false hope for some sort of a relationship. She set her coffee down and offered some to Cyborg. "Naw thanks, though. I don't touch the stuff," he politely declined.

Robin, for unknown reasons, was sick of watching the two of them interact, and he made a move to get up, "I'd better go and make sure the others are at least awake. We need to get an earlier start today than we have been getting lately." Bat reached across the bar and put a hand on his forearm to stop him, "It's ok, I can do it." Robin hesitated with the contact of her gloved hand on his bare arm. "A-Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, what if you get lost?" "Please," she all but snickered, "I have this floor completely memorized already. It's no problem," and with that, she released Robin's arm and was practically out the door. Robin regained his composure and called after her, "When you get to B.B., you might have to go into his room to wake him up-he's kind of a deep-sleeper…" In response, Batgirl waved backwards to acknowledge that she had in fact heard the words, but he still couldn't help but let his eyes follow her as she left.

As soon as the doors slid shut with their usual barely-audible _whoosh_, Cyborg's too-loud voice spoke up from beside Robin, "Whoa-ho, man! I think she likes _you_!" Cy paused for a dramatic effect, "And _damn _she's not that bad lookin' either. I'd go for it!" Robin looked over at his friend and frowned, "What the hell are you talking about? We just had coffee. It's not like I even _like_ her that much." Smiling Cyborg responded, "Yeah, but it's gunna be that little bit of a relationship that more can develop from!" he laughed and stood. Walking over to the fridge, he spoke again, "You'll see, man…you'll see." Robin clenched his nearly empty mug in his hands, but he loosened his grip when he realized he didn't want any broken ceramic all over the place.

Robin stared into his drink and saw the reflections of the bright overhead lights. He only looked up when he heard muffled noises from across the kitchen. Cyborg's head was inside the fridge and Robin wasn't able to make out what was being said. Not that he wanted to speak with his friend at that point, only out of politeness; he spoke up, "What? You know I can't understand you when you speak in a different direction." Cyborg righted himself and spoke, "All I did was ask whose turn it was to make breakfast. You don't have to get all snippy with me…" Robin caught onto some feigned pouting, but he ignored it and mentally ran through the list of names and dates. "B.B.'s turn-" "Aw, man! Not tofu eggs and bacon _again_!" Cyborg made a face.

From that point on, Robin tuned his friend out and thought only about what training exercises they were all going to perform. He had no idea why, but, for some odd reason, Robin wanted to show his team off that morning.

Batgirl walked at an even, slow pace down the hallway. The Tower was so quiet, that was at least until she came up to Beast Boy's room. On the outside of his door, it looked like any of the other rooms on that floor, but she had the most overwhelming feeling that on the inside it was a complete pigsty-no pun intended against the shape-shifter. Even through the titanium reinforced hydraulic door, Bat could hear Beast Boy's snoring. She couldn't help but wonder just how difficult it would be to wake him up.

Lifting her hand, she lightly rapped on the door with her knuckles. There was no reaction. She knocked a little louder, and said his name a few times. "Beast Boy…time to get up!" Bat said louder. There was a small grunt from the other side of the door, but it quickly dissolved into even more messy snoring. Bat sighed and hoped with all of her being that he was descent and she pressed the "door open" button.

It slid off to the side to her surprise. Bat had thought that it might have been locked, but it wasn't. The sight she was greeted with was one that she had expected. There were discarded uniforms, socks, shoes, magazines, half full and empty junk food bags, video games, and other various unidentifiable items strewn on every available inch of space. She couldn't help but wonder if even Beast Boy knew if he had carpeting or hardwood floors in his room.

After taking a quick survey of the room, Batgirl saw the large bunk bed. It was where the deep snoring was emanating from…the only problem was actually finding the _cause_ of all of the noise. Carefully stepping forward and dodging as much as she could, Bat made her way across the room to the bed. Leaning over, she listened for breathing, but she was then able to tell he was on the top bunk.

Batgirl sighed; it was _never_ easy, was it? She let out a short laugh and, since she was too short to see the top bunk from the ground, she was forced to climb the ladder that was set off to the side. Taking only as many steps as it was necessary, she caught sight of Beast Boy. He was in the most uncomfortable position that she could have imagined, but-thankfully-he was still fully clothed. Beast Boy's face was flat down and buried in a pillow while his rear was up in the air and his arms were straight out to the sides. Once again, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Beast Boy!" Batgirl said it loudly, causing him to jump and sit up, head reeling from surprise and terrible bed head. "Huh-wha-?" Beast Boy snorted. "Time to get up, Sleepyhead," Batgirl said sweetly as she jumped down from the rung of the ladder that she had been standing on. Yawning, B.B. peered over the railing of his bed, "W-What are you doing in my room?" The look on his face was so confused that Batgirl couldn't help but smile, "I _told_ you…Robin says it's a training day, so move it!" As she turned, she heard him groan and try to lie back down. When she reached the doorway, she looked back over her shoulder, "Oh, and just as a warning out of kindness…I wouldn't want to make me come back in here." With that she walked off in the direction of Raven and Starfire's rooms, pausing just long enough to hear Beast Boy finally rise. With another triumphant grin she walked off. Not like she would have _actually_ done anything to Beast Boy…she just wanted to see what he would do.

It wasn't long until the entire team had been assembled in the living room and eaten what Beast Boy had happily prepared. Robin had watched as Batgirl and Starfire walked into the room arm-in-arm as if they had known each other for years. Even Raven had interacted nicely with the newcomer. Robin knew for a fact that that was not an easy thing to happen ever since Terra had come into their lives and betrayed them. He had observed silently as both female members commented on how clean the kitchen was. Truth be told…he hadn't noticed but not because he was "just a boy and didn't appreciate such things" but because he had been more preoccupied with…_other_ things…

He was surprised that Batgirl even ate all of the tofu eggs and bacon Beast Boy had served her. Robin was having a difficult time deciding whether she had actually liked them or she was an extremely good liar. He and Cyborg cleaned up after eating and actually loaded the dishwasher for once so they wouldn't get their heads chewed off by the girls for "ruining Bat's hard work". All the while, Robin glanced over at the blonde girl among his best friends and watched her interact. Cyborg's words floated in and out of his mind all the while, but he kept telling himself that he didn't even really like Batgirl, but he hated so much to admit that the more he saw her, the more he was physically attracted to her.

Once the entire cleanup was finished, Robin had the team follow him down and outside. He wanted them to train outdoors because it was a fairly decent day and he wanted to use the obstacle course to their advantage as much as possible. When the elevator door let them out to the courtyard, Robin led them though a side door and onto the secluded, waterfront course.

It was the first time Batgirl had been down there and she marveled at the amount of equipment there was. She quickly scanned and predicted what each piece of the equipment would do until she felt a hand graze her arm. She turned towards Starfire, "Friend, I believe you should be standing up here with the rest of us." She saw the redhead gesture to a platform nearby and off to the side. Bat smiled in thanks and stepped up to join the others as Star glided up beside her. Looking around Bat saw Robin standing at the controls with his back to her. He was messing with some buttons and flipping some switches. She watched as he went through the very deliberate movements, but her breath caught in her throat when he spun around and caught her eye, "Alright…who's up first?" No one spoke up and his stone-cold face looked from each of his friends to the other until it finally rested on Batgirl. Her stomach did a twist and she suddenly wished she hadn't eaten so much.

"No one? No one wants to show Batgirl how we do things here?" Robin asked, trying his best to keep the near desperation out of his voice. He didn't want to be showed up on their first official day of training with Batgirl there. Finally, when there was not a single peep, he volunteered himself, "Fine, then! I'll go." He shoved past his unhelpful friends and placed a hand on the railing. Flinging himself over the side and landing in a crouched position, Robin called over his shoulder without turning his head, "Cyborg, you know the setting…" "Yeah-" he responded, but was cut off by Robin, "Set it a notch or two higher…surprise me." Robin said it in a rather cocky voice that Batgirl took meant that the setting he was asking for was definitely not an easy one.

Still, she had to ask and she leaned over to Raven, "Is it hard?" "Yeah," her sullen voice responded, "no one can near his 'usual setting'…" Raven's voice seemed slightly sarcastic in response to Robin's proud attitude. "So, that means this is something no one can top," Bat said while trying her best to keep the awe and admiration out of her voice.

Robin stood at the starting area of the Titans' obstacle course. His heart was pounding so hard that the rush of his blood was all that he was able to hear. With his roaring adrenalin already pumping to every single part of his body, Robin snuck a glance over at the control platform. He would deny it to the death, but he secretly wanted to know if Batgirl was watching him. His pulse sped up even more-if that was possible at that point-at the sight of Bat standing in the front of the group beside Cyborg at the computer console.

Once again, Robin looked forward, still waiting for the nearly deafening _buzz_ that signaled the start of the training exercise. Instinctively, Robin's hand went to his utility belt and, not unlike a cowboy in one of those wild-West movies, his fingers hovered right above the loop where his retractable fighting staff was kept.

Finally, the alarm sounded, the timer began, and Robin sprinted off. At the last second, he decided not to pull out his staff until he really needed it. It would just have been a burden and in the way. Sprinting forward, Robin saw some bladed discs shoot out of camouflaged rocks. Quickly calculating how fast they were moving, he jumped forward and landed in a roll. Without missing a beat, Robin spun around and sent some of his own exploding spheres in their direction. He didn't even need to watch the explosion to know that he had successfully taken both discs down.

Robin stood and took off again, but the ground had dropped away. _That's a new one…_ he took a second to process before easily bounding from pillar to pillar of remaining land. It was something he hardly had to think about, but he knew better than to allow himself to be lulled into a false sense of ease and security.

Batgirl watched on in wonder as Robin bounded with such grace and ease that she found it very difficult to believe that he had never attempted this course before. She couldn't help but hold her breath as Robin whipped out his staff and began taking out various machines that shot either some type of spinning discs or lasers of some sort. The smooth way that he leapt and bounded reminded her a lot of Batman and she had a hard time not picking out the rest of the similarities between the Boy Wonder and the Dark Night.

It was all she could do not to gasp as Robin disappeared in a puff of smoke caused by some short-circuiting wires in a large metal plank he had flung a sonic disc at. Soon after, the smoke cleared and the timer buzzed, signaling to all, that Robin had successfully completed the course.

Robin had landed in a crouched position and was leaning with both hands on his staff. His breathing was coming in deep pants as the sweat dripped from the tip of his nose and seeped into his mask to sting his eyes. It had been one of the most difficult workouts he had ever performed. Composing himself, adrenalin still ringing in his ears, Robin stood and called back to the platform, "Time?" There was a pause and then came Cyborg's voice, "Four minutes, forty-six seconds!" Robin gave a smile and his chest heaved.

As he made his way back to where the others were, Beast Boy called out to him, "Dude! That's a new _course_ record! Not to mention that you freakin' crushed one of the toughest levels!" Robin couldn't help but smile at his friend's obvious excitement. Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his glove, Robin swung his staff and collapsed it. Standing at the base of the platform, he looked up into all of the faces staring back down at him. "_Now_…" he said with a great exhalation as he tucked his staff back into its respective holster, "who's next?"

There were a few seconds of utter silence as no one wanted to follow such a triumph. That was until Batgirl tipped her chin in Robin's direction, "I'll go." Everyone turned to look at her. "Really?" Starfire asked, "Are you sure you want do this? You do not know our course of obstacles." Bat looked back at Star, "I think I can do it." Beast Boy looked over at her, "Those weapons are the _real_ thing out there! I have the scars to prove it!" "It's different every time," Cyborg chimed in, "there are no repeated sequences." "I said I think I-" Batgirl began again, slightly more agitatedly until she was interrupted by Robin, "Let her…" He was practically dying to see what she could do.

Politely, Robin held up his hand to help Bat down, but she either didn't see it or ignored it completely because she just leapt off of the platform as Robin had earlier and walked over to the marked starting point. Robin called back up to Cyborg, "Ok, start her at-" "The same level Robin was at, please," Batgirl interrupted. She looked over at the gaping faces, "If he can do it, so can I!" "Ok, then," Cyborg said and he began to set everything up. Robin had reached the top of the platform, "I can do it," he all but shoved Cyborg out of the way as he reset the system with slightly resentful motions. He decided he wouldn't feel bad when she got hurt; it would be her own doing. He pressed the countdown button and the numbers on the small screen in front of him began ticking down.

Batgirl stood there poised in a similar position to Robin's. She couldn't help but bounce slightly back and forth from the balls of her feet. Bat didn't know if it was the black coffee she had had earlier, but her head was already pounding with that "battle-rush" she always got when the adrenalin in her body began to course its way from limb to limb. Her hands were at a ready position and her muscles were taut in anticipation. Batgirl's breathing even and paced, she awaited the buzzer. When it finally sounded, she leapt forward and was off before her ears had a chance to stop ringing…


	10. Chapter 10:Injury

Injury

Batgirl's skin tingled in anticipation as she took off. There were no flying discs as there had been for Robin, and it made her wonder resentfully for a heartbeat if they had changed the setting on her. That was until the ground dropped out from beneath her feet.

She began to fall, but as second nature, she pulled out her grappling hook. Firing it, Bat saw the claw catch the ledge. She was propelled forward until her momentum swung her over the edge. Batgirl landed, but she misjudged her speed and was forced to roll. Righting herself, she flipped her hair out of her eyes.

She caught sight of two previously camouflaged cannon-like weapons that she hadn't noticed earlier. They spun around to reveal barrels of some sort of machines. They pivoted in her direction and, like she had done so many times before in such similar situations, Bat reached down to her utility belt, yanked out two razor-sharp Batarangs, and expertly flung them at the weapons.

Taking off again, she watched out of the corners of her eyes as sparks flew from the spliced barrels. Within her next heartbeat, she easily caught both of her projectiles and replaced them on her hips.

Her breath coming in deep, well-controlled gulps, Batgirl sprang over a pole that was meant to trip her up without missing a beat. There was an electronic _clank_-ing sound followed by the discs she had seen Robin take out during his turn at the course. Bat decided to take a different approach than he had; however, and she pulled out her own staff. Extending it, Bat used a strong swing coupled with a loud cry to deflect it. The disc shattered with an almost deafening noise, sparks, and smoke. Without so much as a flinch, she went after the second much like she did the first.

Bursting through the smoke, she didn't see the third disc until it was too late. Bat only had a second to react, so she pulled her body out of the way, but the disc still caught the side of her right bicep. Bat's body recoiled from the powerful force of the blow, but within the next second, she spun around and demolished the last disc. Turning again to continue, she wondered why her arm wasn't hurting. She brushed it off as it having been a fluke and not an actual weapon.

Sprinting, staff in hand, Bat was able to see the finish circle mere feet away. Suddenly, a metal wall rose from the ground. It wasn't very high, so she used her staff to pole-vault over the barrier. Landing, she stood and dashed to the finish line. There was a _buzz_ from behind and Batgirl threw her arms in the air in triumph as she spun to face the others.

Bat collapsed her staff and replaced it on her belt. Jogging back over to the control platform, Bat called out, "How'd I do?" She saw Beast Boy push his way over to the front of the group, "Dude!" he pumped a fist high above his head, "You totally _crushed_ Robin's time!" Batgirl stopped at the base of the platform-she hadn't been expecting that. "Really?" she said it in an astonished near-whisper.

"Yeah," said Cyborg, "Just look at the clock." She stepped to the side and read the glowing red numbers. _Four minutes and forty-one seconds…_ she had beaten Robin's time by five seconds…

Bat gave a beaming smile at her accomplishment and looked back up at the others still on the platform. Starfire clasped her hands in front of her face and declared, "This is so wonderful!" in her usual bubbly timbre. Batgirl couldn't help but look around to find Robin. When she finally spotted him, she saw only flashes of his stance through the other, constantly moving Titans. What she could see, however, was not very welcoming.

Bat could tell that he had hung back for a reason with his arms crossed and head averted from all of the action. Just as soon as Bat's feelings had soared, they slammed back face first into the dirt. _Sore loser…_ she thought and gritted her teeth resentfully. Quickly, Bat recovered and refocused on the rest of the group. "So…who's next?" she'd said it much like Robin had earlier. Bat secretly hoped he'd notice her small attempt at mockery.

Walking around to the steps of the platform, Batgirl went to join the others. With her left hand, she swept away some stray strands of hair that were stuck to the film of sweat on her forehead; while she extended her right to Cyborg who offered his own to help her up onto the platform. As soon as there was strain placed on her muscles in that arm, though, she felt a sharp twang travel up and down her limb. It was such an unexpected and abrupt pain that Bat couldn't stop herself from cringing or the hiss of her own breath as she sucked the air in through her teeth.

Cyborg immediately let go when he thought he had hurt her, but Starfire had seen what had happened. "You are injured and…leaking!" Star cried. Bat looked down at her arm. Now that she could actually see the warm blood trickle down her arm from the gash, she was able to feel it. "Well, would you look at that," she examined her arm. She thought about when it could have happened and remembered that it must have been when that disc had collided with her limb in the training session.

Bat spoke up again, "Guess I didn't feel it because if my adrenalin." Cyborg stepped forward, "C'mon, I'll take you to the infirmary. We'll patch ya up-" "No," Robin shoved his way through, "All of you need to stay here and train." Robin made his way to Bat's side and looked back at all of the concerned faces, "I want all of you to perform at least three cycles each…then, keep going until you beat your best time." There was a noticeable groan from Beast Boy, "_After that_," Robin began again, "meet me in the gym. Weights and sparring sessions for everybody!" he said it in a mockingly sweet and excited voice.

Without bothering to listen to any back talk, he turned on his heel and, unconsciously, touched his fingertips to the back of Batgirl's shoulder. Together, the two of them walked down the steps of the platform and back to the door that led to the courtyard of Titans' Tower. As soon as the door slid shut behind them, Bat leaned away from Robin's touch-reluctantly, though she would deny it if he brought it up. "I can take care of myself," she said sort of as a ploy to rid themselves of the silence. "I never said you couldn't," Robin said a little too harshly. Bat hadn't actually thought about the words as she had said them, but now that he brought it up, she realized just how random her comment had been. She decided to shut up from that point on to prevent herself from sounding any more absentminded than she already had.

Instead, Batgirl focused herself on her arm. It wasn't the worst injury that she had sustained to date, but it was not exactly a pretty sight either. Her blood was flowing fairly freely down the sleeve of her costume and she had to keep her arm elevated above her heart to slow the dripping and to keep it from staining the floor.

Once the two of them had reached the elevator, Robin followed close behind Bat and pressed the button to take them to the infirmary. There was only the quiet _hum_ of the machine working around them between the two teenage heroes. Robin snuck a glance over at Batgirl. Her arm was bleeding rather profusely and he felt a pang of guilt at the thought that it was causing her pain. Shaking his head slightly, he remembered how he had told himself that he wouldn't feel bad for her if she got hurt trying to do something she shouldn't have. Robin sighed quietly and continued examining Bat's elevated limb out of the corner of his eye as he contemplated how he was going to fix her up.

With a light _ding_ the doors of the elevator opened and Bat stepped out before Robin had a chance. He caught up quickly to her and made sure the doors to the infirmary were unlocked. They slid open to reveal the sterile, off-white environment that constantly smelt of rubbing alcohol and the stale smell of plastic. There were three sickbeds with plain white sheets already set up along a wall of monitoring equipment. Glass cabinets filled with various medicines and other medical equipment lined the remaining walls. Robin gave a curt motion for Bat to sit on one of the beds while he went over to the cabinets.

Swinging it open, he grabbed some rubbing alcohol, gauze, pressure bandages, and antibiotic ointments. He didn't know just how bad the slash was, so he grabbed some of the equipment for stitches just in case. Reaching over to another cabinet, he picked up a pan to put some warm water in to soak the wound. On his way back over to the bed where Batgirl had sat, he snatched up some towels. When he reached her side, he noticed she had a cloth in her lap to catch any of the blood that dripped down with gravity so it wouldn't stain anything else. For a second, he wondered where she had gotten the towel, but he brushed the idea aside as it was of no importance to the situation.

Bat watched in silence as Robin unloaded the medical supplies he had gathered on the small table beside the bed that she had made herself comfortable atop. On the ride up the elevator, her adrenalin had completely worn off and she had begun to feel the full strength of the pain her wound was causing. She was _definitely_ not a wimp, but her eyes had begun to well up as, with each throbbing heartbeat, more blood leaked and stained her costume. She shifted slightly when she saw everything that Robin had gathered. She had had stitches before and knew for a fact that she did not want them again-especially not without anesthesia.

Her eyes followed Robin as he went over to a nearby sink and filled the tub he had carried over to it with water. Walking back, she watched how concentrated he was on not spilling a single drop on the white, non-slip floor. She held back a smile at his seriousness and wondered if he knew he was making a face. Bat continued to simply sit there as she allowed Robin to prepare everything in his very deliberate manner.

Robin turned back towards Bat after soaking one of the white towels in the warm water. He rung it out and she held out her arm to him. There was a good amount of blood soaking her sleeve. Gently, Robin cleaned that up first so it wouldn't get all over the place. As he got nearer to the actual wound itself, he felt her arm stiffen in his hand. Looking up, he thought how remarkably much she looked like a frightened child. His heart went out to her for that moment in time.

Robin thought about what a good sport she was being and he tried to console her, "I'll be gentle…" He looked for a reaction and he saw her subtly bite her lower lip in anticipation of the pain. Robin rinsed off the towel in the previously clean basin of water and watched as the liquid was dyed an odd hue of diluted red. He rung out the towel for a second time and realized that there was no saving it. The fabric was stained bright red, but it wasn't a big deal. Robin turned back to Bat and took her arm in his hand again. He softly pressed the damp towel to the gash and he felt her flinch slightly at the presser.

Releasing her arm, he used his free hand to take her left one and place it over the towel under his hand, "Press on it…it should help stop the bleeding." She followed his directions and he had freed himself to walk back over and retrieve the rubbing alcohol along with a fresh, dry, clean towel. Sitting beside Batgirl on the bed, he set everything down at his hip. He picked up a corner of the towel to see if the bleeding had slowed at all. It hadn't really. "What were you thinking?" Robin thought aloud under his breath. "That I could beat you…," Bat said without looking at him. His head snapped up. Robin hadn't expected her to hear him.

Robin cleared his throat and placed his hand over hers. Pressing a little harder than he probably needed to, he put more pressure on the wound. Her body recoiled in pain, but her face remained unchanging: nor did she make a peep. Little did he know that it was taking every last drop of her sanity not to punch him in the jaw. They sat together in that position for a few minutes. Soon, Robin checked underneath the cloth again and the bleeding had slowed. Bat removed her hand and allowed him to wipe the remaining blood from her wound. She watched as he tossed the soiled towel back over into the dirtied water. It landed with a soggy _slap_ and sent droplets airborne before they landed back in the basin.

That was the first clean look the two of them had had a chance to get of the wound. It was a slash about two-and-a-half inches long. It wasn't thick, but Robin could tell it was fairly deep, but from what he could see, the muscle wasn't injured. At that point, he thanked God for his unwavering strong constitution. Grabbing the rubbing alcohol, he saw Bat's eyes get wide. It was going to sting and burn like all Hell, but he knew it was necessary. Their training machinery wasn't always sterile. Pouring a good amount on a corner of the clean towel, Robin quickly pressed it to her wound before she had a second longer to think about it. From the look on her face, she was about ready to kill him, but he knew that she would thank him in the long run when there was no infection. He allowed the alcohol to soak in as he judged the rest of the way her body reacted to the pain. Batgirl's hands were clenched around fistfuls of white sheets. Her legs were crossed tightly at the ankle, probably to distract her from the fiery feeling in her other limb. He allowed his eyes to travel to her face. He only got to see her profile, but Robin could tell her nose was crinkled in near-agony and he thought he saw a tear slide out from beneath the dark rim of her mask.

Robin's heart gave an involuntary throb. Wondering whether or not he should do something was not a welcome type of confusion. Instead, he pulled the towel away and tossed it off to the side. It also had a slight coating of blood on it, but it was not nearly as bad as the first had been. Without another thought, Robin lifted her arm up and blew cool air on the wound. After many of his own injuries, he knew that it was a fast way to give some relief from the terrible pain of having alcohol spilled on an open wound.

When he saw the skin was dry, he looked up to find Batgirl staring at him, "What?" he asked in an almost accusatory tone. "Nothing…," she looked away and held back a smile at the kind gesture he had shown her. The feeling from what he had done could only have been described as putting ice on a fresh burn. _Maybe he really _doesn't_ hate me,_ she thought to herself. Robin cut into her mind, though, "I think you may need to have stitches…" Batgirl's stomach dropped past her feet, "No, I don't think I do," she said it hurriedly in an attempt to deter him from the thought of sticking a needle into her throbbing flesh. "No," Robin retorted, "I think you may need them-" "You're not a doctor," she said very childishly. "True, but I _do_ know when someone needs stitches or not," Robin frowned, trying to keep the picture of Bat so vulnerable in his mind to keep some semblance of sympathy in his voice. "I heal quickly, there's really no need for them…" Bat said in a hurried voice when she saw that Robin was not going to be convinced very easily.

"No!" Batgirl yanked her arm away, "…please…?" Robin's eyes grew wider, had he heard a whimper there? His arm had been in mid-extension to grab the supplies needed to perform the procedure of stitches. Just before he reached the equipment, his hand swerved and grabbed the medical ointment and gauze. "Fine," he made out that he was agitated; "don't come crying to me when the damn thing won't heal properly…" Bat's worry melted away with Robin's words. He had gone against his better judgment out of pity and that was something that unnerved Robin. "Thank you," she said quietly, but gratefully. She knew she probably wasn't going to get a response so she let him fiddle with the tube of medicine in silence. That was until he gave a nearly silent, "You're welcome…" If she had coughed, she would have missed it, but there was no denying he had said it. Batgirl finally let herself smile.

Robin picked up the gauze and began to open the packet. He looked back at the wound and realized that there wasn't enough of a tear in her costume to allow him to apply the bandages. He cleared his throat, "Is…there any way you could…?" he mimicked the motion of rolling up her sleeve. "No," she replied, "My sleeves don't roll up well and I am _not_ taking my clothes off if that's what you mean," Bat had said it with a small laugh to be taken as a joke. Robin; however, had the most difficult time keeping himself from blushing at her words. Clearing his throat to rid himself of such thoughts and to force himself to refocus, he spoke up, "Ok, then do you mind if I rip it more so I can put this stuff on?" She shrugged, but the motion sent a pang traveling from her collarbone to her fingertips. She opted for an oral answer instead, "Sure, my other uniforms should be here soon anyway."

Robin set down the unopened packet of gauze and gently hooked his fingers in the torn fabric. Tugging, the stretchy fabric gave and opened up to reveal more room and ivory skin. Swallowing as he kept one hand on her arm to keep the blood-tinted fabric out of the way, he picked up the gauze once again. Tearing it open with his teeth, he expertly applied the medicine with one hand and pressed it to the wound. Bat didn't know whether his skill made her sad or impressed her. Multitasking with the hand that was already holding the torn sleeve out of the way, he helped hold the gauze in place as he reached over to pick up the pressure bandage and toss out the package that had contained the gauze.

Unwinding it, he did the only thing he was able to do: he wrapped it all the way around her thin, but well-toned arm. It went over her clothing and all. As he slowly and efficiently applied the pressure bandage, Robin broke the silence, "So, when did this happen?" he asked while his eyes never left the job he was performing. Batgirl thought before replying-her head was feeling light and her eyelids had begun to droop…she hadn't lost enough blood for that to be the cause, so she took it as being the downside of having had pure caffeine earlier, "It was one of those spinning, disc-things. I didn't feel it at first, but it obviously got me pretty good," she gave an awkward smile as he pulled the bandage tighter. "Guess so," he mumbled through his concentration. Robin went through the motions repeatedly until he finally tied it off with a tug.

Standing and gathering all of the scraps and leavings from the medical job he had performed, Robin cleaned up the mess he had made. He even picked up the soiled towel from her lap. Bat's vision was starting to get blurry, as her will to fight unconsciousness was an uphill battle that was getting steeper. She was so tired that she hardly noticed when Robin returned with a glass of water and something else in his hand. "You alright?" he asked peering into her nodding face. "Yeah, just tired, I guess," she said, trying to sound cheerful. Deep down, she wanted to sleep so badly that it was almost as painful as her gash.

Robin didn't believe her, but he decided to humor Bat and let her think that he had put some faith into her practically slurred words. "Here," he held out the glass of water he had gotten for her. She took it and then he showed her the bottle he had in his other hand. Batgirl looked slightly confused, "That," he motioned to her arm as he twisted the cap off of the white, plastic bottle, "is going to hurt like _hell_ soon." Bat reached out her good arm to take the two pills he offered her, "Like it already doesn't?" she gave a snorting laugh. Taking the pills he gave her in one motion, she heard Robin give a small laugh of his own. "Right…," then he began again in a slightly more serious voice, "Those are some good meds, you most likely won't feel a thing soon, but you'll probably pass out for a few hours." Robin could tell that that wouldn't be a problem, judging from the way Bat had been acting even before he had given her the powerful painkillers. He watched as she carefully set the glass on the bedside table within reach of her injured limb.

As she laid herself back, Robin had to will himself not to gaze at her splayed out body as he had done that previous night. Batgirl gave a grunt as she sifted her arm to get more comfortable, not to mention so she didn't have to deal with the shooting pain. "So you're that desperate to make me shut up and leave you alone that you're drugging me," the two of them laughed at that, but Robin hoped she had meant the comment as a joke.

Once their snickering subsided, Robin felt out of place. "If you-uh-need anything-" Robin began as he started to make a move for the door. "No, just…wait a sec," Bat stopped him. Though she was excruciatingly exhausted, she didn't want Robin to leave. She turned her head to face him. The look on his face told her that she needed to clarify of he might have a nervous breakdown, "Look, I'm not all sappy 'oh, look at me I'm a damsel-in-distress, everyone help me', but I just…like company." Robin had walked back over to the bedside, but he still seemed awkward, so she spoke again to help lighten the mood, "No matter how terrible the company might be," she smiled. Robin frowned but flashed a brief smile of his own before allowing it to fade. For a second, Bat wondered if it would be weird if she asked him to sit on the bed with her, but she decided not to push her luck.

Robin stood there and stared at the girl lying on the bed in front of him; her golden hair spilled out over the pillow like a halo. She was pretty…very pretty. He was amazed that he could tell theis even though she still wore her mask. Robin knew he had to regain his composure before he did anything idiotic, "Your worst injury?" he motioned towards her arm. It was a stupid, lame, and an asinine question, but it made him focus on something else. "This?" Bat lifted her arm a fraction of an inch, "No…I've been shot before." She had said it so nonchalantly that Robin's jaw nearly dropped, "Really?" "Yeah…dumb story, though," she said. "Let's hear it," Robin said. "It was a run-in with The Penguin. Probably my second or third night with Batman where there was some actual action," Bat began somewhat hesitantly at having to explain one of her more idiotic moments, "Long story short, I wasn't paying very much attention to his umbrella and-" she pantomimed an explosion with her left hand, "-he got me."

Robin was still curious, "If you don't mind me asking, where?" He had been grazed by bullets before, but not actually hit by one. "I'd show you," she smiled, "but my suit is a one-piece…" Robin felt a light blush creep up the back of his neck. Batgirl laughed, "Here-" Bat reached out with her good arm and snatched up Robin's hand before he could protest. She held it on her left side where her hip began, but at the point before her pelvic bone tipped forward. Even though his thick glove and her clothing, Robin was able to feel the abnormal silkiness of the mound of scar tissue. It was a little larger than the size of his fingertip-bullet sized, of course.

All of Robin's awkwardness melted away to curiosity again, "It didn't hit anything, major, did it?" Bat shook her head, but her eyes never strayed from watching as Robin's fingertips caressed her side and made her skin tingle. "It was an entry/exit wound," Bat showed him by tilting onto her side and running his hand over her hip to have him feel the clean circle where the bullet had left her body as abruptly as it had entered it. She removed her hand and, to her great surprise, Robin's stayed right where it was, examining her scars.

Realizing what he was doing and clearing his throat; Robin pulled his arm back. He felt an even brighter blush creeping up on him and he wanted to get out of there fast. "Lucky…" he said. "How so?" Batgirl asked and rolled back onto her back. "In the sense that I _survived_ or that I have a bullet wound and _you_ don't?" She gave a cocky grin-seemingly pleased with her banter. Robin raised an eyebrow and flashed an attitude-filled smile of his own, "You pick."

"Thanks again," she called after him, unable to mask the tiredness in her voice any longer. Nodding his head, he spun on his heel, and, with that, Robin strode out the door and was gone. Putting a hand to his head, Robin walked back to the elevator and pressed the button to direct himself to the training floor. _Shit…_ he thought;_ I have got to get myself under control here. She's just a girl-and an annoying one at that!_ Robin gave a harsh laugh, _Then why do I let her get to me?_

Bat watched for a few seconds to see if he was really gone until her hand went to the spots that Robin had touched on her side. They were still warm. Putting that hand over her eyes to block out the bright lights as she finally allowed herself to succumb to the sleep she wanted so badly, she thought aloud, "Damn, girl…you're in trouble…"


End file.
